Delight Yourself in the Lord
Delight yourself in the Lord, and God will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37
In every moment, we are called to delight in the gifts and graces the Spirit reveals. We are to be pleased and full of joy, to be ever surprised by the appearance of God, of grace in unexpected places. This is the Christian message, to live in Christ’s joy.
Pope Francis tells us that, since joy is constitutive of the Gospel, we should ask for joy out of a love for others, family, and the world.
“One cannot deliver the Good News with a sullen face. Joy is not a decorative ‘addition,’ but a clear indicator of grace: it indicates that love is active, operative, and present.”
If we are going to live the Gospel, to follow Christ, we must live in this joy. This joy is deep and enduring, beyond the fleeting. It is a delight that burns within.
Delight and joy permeate the work and ministry we have the blessing to accomplish through the Catholic Foundation of Michigan. Through our work, we are uniquely positioned to hear the beautiful and sacred stories of those with whom we are blessed to encounter.
Personally, I am honored by the opportunity to listen deeply to the passions and desires of individuals who discern how to connect their generosity to the world’s greatest needs.
The mission of the Catholic Foundation is to inspire generosity, make giving easy and support ministries now and forever. As a Catholic community foundation, we do this in line with Catholic Social teaching, meaning all dollars in, the way our assets grow, and all dollars granted follow the social and moral guidelines of our church.
It is an absolute joy and delight to do this work and there have been so many moments over the last six years where I have been surprised by how God is working in the lives of our community.
Let us pray for consolation, and even beg for it, as the Pope encourages. It is my prayer that we are all surprised by delight. Together, may our generosity meet the world’s greatest needs. If you are not sure where to start, I welcome you to call.