Following the Example of the Joyful Saint

I recently finished a biography on St. Philip Neri and so enjoyed reading about the love he had for Jesus and the joy he radiated.  It was so refreshing and inspiring to read about a man that on fire with love for Jesus.  And it got me thinking that it’s been a long time since I felt that I was radiating Jesus’ love through me.

So lately I’ve really been trying to let Jesus’ love fill me up.  And I don’t mean in an intellectual sort of way, but in that my-heart-is-overflowing and my-soul-is-glowing kind of way.  The way I much imagine St. Philip experienced it.  And the only way I’ve come anywhere close to getting present to Jesus’ love is through gratitude.

Jesus has done, and is doing so much for each one of us every second of every day that it is so easy to overlook it, to take it all for granted.  It’s so easy to forget about the burning love He first had for us that drove Him to become man and suffer the Cross.  It’s so easy to miss the extraordinary love that is found in the Eucharist.  It’s so easy to ignore all the aids  He has given to help us make it to Him in Heaven (the other sacraments, the Bible, so many graces, prayer, Mary’s guidance, our guardian angels, the list goes on and on…).   If we were truly aware of all of that each day, it would be impossible to keep our love for Jesus inside!

There was a delightful story in the book that St. Philip was so in love with Jesus, that he often had to divert his attention before Mass so that he wouldn’t go into ecstasies while saying the Mass (his favorite diversion: a book of jokes – I kid you not!)!  Can you imagine being so wildly in love with Jesus that you didn’t have to prepare yourself for Mass, and in fact, had to (umm?) unprepare yourself?

Such things may seem beyond the realm of possibility for us, but Jesus is calling you and me both to sainthood.  He’s calling us to be on fire for love of Him and to share that love with the world.  So it is my prayer that tomorrow before we start our mornings, we can really get present to the unbounded love Jesus has for us, let it fill us up, and then share it with everyone around us.