Day Twenty Eight — The Third Note Joy
Tertiaries, rejoicing in the Lord always, show in our lives the grace and beauty of divine joy. We remember that we follow the Son of Man, who came eating and drinking, who loved the birds and the flowers, who blessed little children, who was a friend to tax collectors and sinners and who sat at the tables of both the rich and the poor. We delight in fun and laughter, rejoicing in God’s world, its beauty and its living creatures, calling nothing common or unclean. We mix freely with all people, ready to bind up the broken-hearted and to bring joy into the lives of others. We carry within us an inner peace and happiness, which others may perceive, even if they do not know its source.
the living water bursting from a rock;
birdsong in lockdown heard, unlooked-for gift,
the prodigal’s return, Zacchaeus’ shock.
A toddler’s laugh, a spaniel in the park,
some ragtag minstrels joining as a band,
oneness with all things, candle in the dark,
a seeming hazelnut held in God’s hand.
Silence and music, stillness and the dance,
disquiet turned to peaceful reverie,
oasis in the desert, lover’s glance,
grief smiling at a sudden memory.
Messiah’s feast, wise maidservant’s reward,
Aslan’s country, Lazarus restored.
This is of course in deliberate homage to George Herbert’s Prayer (1) – ‘Prayer, the Church’s banquet...’
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