Reflect

Over the past 99 days, the words joy, joyful, and enjoy have appeared over 100 times. You probably weren’t counting, but we were!  And you may recall that the focused week on joy came right in the middle of the 100 days. Our founder, Br. David Steindl-Rast, is the reason for both.

Br. David turns 100 today, and there is no better way to celebrate and honor him than for each of us to say yes to joy. Br. David describes joy as “the happiness for which the human heart longs, a lasting happiness, a happiness that does not depend on what happens.” That idea may have felt abstract 100 days ago, but we hope you’ve gotten a sense of it now — joy as a state of the heart, an abiding sense of peace that transcends the particulars of a given day. It is a kind of light within, which we can find and fuel through the practice of living gratefully.

Br. David has lived a life of joy, not by accident or luck, but by choice and intention. He has modeled what it looks like to make space for joy alongside sorrow and to discover joy in both the ordinary and the transcendent. And he has shared both an invitation and a map for how we can do the same. Let’s all say yes!

Bonus Resource

Welcome to the grateful life! Celebrate your accomplishment and enjoy this dose of delight from Br. David: