Get Some

Lovers in the Moonlight, Marc Chagall

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart (Where?)
Down in my heart
--Down in My Heart, George Willis Cooke

Knock down the old brick wall,
and be a part of it all
--No Matter What, Badfinger

What we long for: joy
before death, nights
in the swale
— everything else can wait
--Blossom, Mary Oliver
______________

Sunday homily: What is joy? [Cross-posted at Big Brass Blog.]

Not that forced thing that we often mistake for the Real Thing. To be joyful is to be in a state of grace, which is not to say it should be a holy or rarefied state. Joy just is, and can be quiet or boisterous, but it is always accompanied by a genuine smile (even if its only on the inside.) Joy is genuine delight and has an aspect of celebration, though it need not be showy.

Lisa doesn't usually You Tube, but here's an exception. If the WaPo hadn't fronted it, I'd never have seen it -- Going to the Chapel & We're Gonna Get Jiggy. It's fun, and if this doesn't make you smile, or reminds you of your past two failed marriages, you are too serious or sullen.

What is this joy that we feel when we witness these happy Minnesotans?


Read more here. . .