| Strength and Beauty |
Chapter 20 |
Page 5 |
We may set laughter down, therefore, among Christian duties. Nor is it one of the minor duties. There may be no commandment in the Decalogue, saying: “Thou shalt laugh,” but Christ certainly taught that joy is a duty, one of the virtues which every Christian should cultivate. No one now believes the old tradition that Jesus never smiled, but always wept. He must have been a happy hearted man. St. Paul also makes it very clear in his teachings that we should rejoice always, and that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, an essential quality of the complete Christian life.
It is not hard for young people to laugh; it comes naturally to them. They should cultivate laughter as a Christian grace, never losing the art, nor allowing it to fall into disuse. They should seek always to be cheerful. Living near the heart of Christ, faithfully following his commandment, and obeying conscience, their lives may be always full of gladness and song. Of course they will find thorns in their path and the sun will not always shine. But there will be ten times more gladness than sorrow in their life, and even the clouds will bring rain with its blessing, and pain will make the song sweeter, if softer. One tells the story thus:
“I woke in the night; the stars were hid,
The skies were cold and gray,
My soul grew sick with a nameless fear,
And I scarce had faith to pray.
“I thought of the day’s mistakes with tears,
Of wrong that out measured right;
When lo! From a rain washed tree near by
A bird sang in the night,
“So soft and so low, so fearlessly,
So full of glad content,
Of a faith that knew the day would break
Through the wet boughs o’er her bent.
“I said to my heart, ‘Behold, a sign!
Heart, let us read aright,
That faith is easy and hope is sure
Page 5
<< Prior Page 1 2 3 4 5 Next Page >>