Receiving more than a Christmas card but a detailed Christmas letter, recapping the past year’s events, is a widespread experience now. Last week, a parishioner read a lengthy Christmas letter from a friend filled with only bad news, a recurring need for the family to quarantine, a period of unemployment, a broken leg, dental issues, car breakdowns, household plumbing problems and even two dead goldfish, among other challenges, were reported. Compassionate by nature, our kindly parishioner wanted to offer an immediate supportive and encouraging response. Rather than write a letter and wait for the Postal Service, she decided to text. With misty eyes and a prayer in her heart she texted, “Got your letter – L. O. L.” She was shocked when she received this stinging response, “There was nothing funny about 2021 for me or for my family!” Telephoning her daughter to diagnose the shocked situation she learned that although she texted L. O. L, meaning in her mind Lots Of Love, L.O.L, in text language, means Laughing Out Loud!

Ooooops! We are certainly sympathetic with the feelings of our kind parishioner who only wished to share her love and concern. Her test was misinterpreted because of a misunderstanding of the language of text. Language has a powerful influence on how we see and experience our world. For example, during the Christmas season we hear and see the word JOY written on cards and in greetings. Here at St. Ann or have a lovely lighted display of the word JOY reminding all who see it that Christ is the source of our JOY this Christmas season and always. JOY is word that we do not use frequently in our everyday vocabulary outside of the Christmas season. We choose most often to use the word happiness. Happiness is not the same thing as Christian JOY. We can be terribly unhappy and still be filled with JOY. JOY is deeper than happiness because we can be joyful in very unhappy situations. For example, there can be JOY in a hospital room, when a loved one is nearing death – no one is happy about the experience they are sharing – but there can be JOY, in experiencing together the gathering in love and for love at a very painful yet beautiful time. JOY is knowing before God that we are in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, even if we are hurting. We may not be laughing out loud, but we can offer lots of love with JOY. God desires for us to be people filled with JOY. The only way that we can gain a joyful perspective in suffering is through prayer. God is the only one that can whisper into our hearts joy even when we are suffering.

As we take the collection for the Retired Religious this weekend is fitting to remember the Religious Teachers Sister Filippini who taught, “If you want to experience J.O.Y learn how to spell the word and arrange the letters in their proper place. In order of importance and priorities: J – Jesus, O – others, Y – yourself.” Prayer is the only way that we can keep order and find JOY, no matter what’s happening around us.