From Heather Withers, Johannesburg
What a delight to read your editorial “Mirrors of joy” (July 31) and then to see the drawing of a happy Jesus sent in by Cyril Shield (August 7). We all need the encouragement of joy, and indeed “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). God-given joy in the midst of sorrow is, I believe, a form of sacrifice, a sacrifice of praise which becomes a sweet-smelling savour offered up to our God (Hebrews 13:15).
Besides being one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), it is amazing how often joy is mentioned in the Bible, and particularly from the lips of our Lord Jesus himself.
I love his promise and wish for us is being that “our joy may be full” (John 16:24).
When praying for us, before his betrayal and death, he said to his Father: “I pray that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” This could very well be the victory we have over the evil one, when we refuse to be overcome by our circumstances.
I am struck by the brave example of the brilliant young Jew Edith Stein, who, even though she had identified herself with Christianity and had became a Carmelite nun, went willingly with her sister to a detention camp in Holland, all the while caring for the children and comforting the distraught women.
Then from a crack in the cattle truck, in which they were incarcerated on their journey to Auschwitz, she threw out a note saying they were singing joyfully as they went.
For this and many other courageous acts she was canonised and is better known to us as St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
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