Joy

"Joy is the infallible sign of God's presence." Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Joy and kindness toward all others is the infallible sign of one's true religion.  We all know people who go to church, but then speak harshly about others at the church -- perhaps sometimes we have done that ourselves.  But, the true sign that one is on a spiritual path is congruity:  kindness toward self and others, contentment, honesty, good will, and yes, joy.  We can see either the negative side of things, or we can see the beauty.  We can see this caregiving as a tedious, horrid task; or we can see that it might be a way to bring out the best in the caregiver and ourselves.  Since the stars do not fall out of the sky, perhaps we can trust that there is a benevolent energy with a benevolent plan for the universe and for us.  Last night after church I stopped to listen a bit to some musicians playing Irish music outdoors.  A lovely evening.  There is so much for which to be grateful.