Photo was taken at Ratheniska, Co. Laois (Irl)

This tractor is completely made of cheese and was put together/sculptured during the Ploughing Championships.

Thought on Saturday – September – 28/09/2013

“Christ came to bring joy: joy to children, joy to parents, joy to families and to friends, joy to workers and to scholars, joy to the sick and joy to the elderly, joy to all humanity. In a true sense, joy is the keynote of the Christian message and the recurring motif of the Gospel. Be messengers of joy” ~Pope John Paul II

Joy is a word we don’t hear too much today. The word ‘happy’ seems to be mainly used but the word ‘joy’ is also a very important one. But what does it mean? Joy in Hebrew is ‘chedvah’ meaning rejoicing or gladness. In Greek it is ‘chara’ meaning cheerfulness or a calm delight. This joy is not a happiness that depends on our circumstances and our moods which constantly change. Joy is something constant and lasts much longer. It comes from within. The feeling is the same whether one is on a mountain top or deep in a valley. It recognises that life is fragile, that we have our ups and downs and that we are far from perfect. Yet in the midst of everything we can have a joyful attitude and that God is our reason why.

There is a beautiful reference to it, in the Gospel of John when Jesus says: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy be complete”. We too are called to be messengers of joy. Who can you share some joy with this weekend? It is often the small beautiful moments done out of love that bubble most with joy. They are precious and special. We can be open to them and we can also share them.