Christmas celebrations are moments when we can joyously express the love and affection we have for our family members and friends. The experience will be less joyous, however, for those who on Christmas day will be in mourning, or in the middle of a separation, or have an illness in the family. I truly hope that they find a peaceful joy, despite their unfortunate circumstances.

For some people, it is in their nature to be joyous. They have a positive attitude, a gift for making others laugh, and a happy demeanour. We enjoy being in their presence because they exude genuine and heartwarming joy. Others have found joy over time, with the wisdom acquired through life experience.

The joy we feel at Christmas time is altogether different. It is a spiritual joy that we feel in the deepest part of our being. It stems from what the angel said to the shepherds: “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). This announcement of the birth of Jesus, Son of God, “the reflection of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3), gives Christians profound, indescribable, and everlasting joy. It is our hope.

It is usually in times of hardship that we can see if the joy of the Good News of salvation is at work in us. When I go to the hospital, I still feel a twinge of sadness as I walk by the people who are sick. On two occasions, I witnessed a person, probably a loved one, one who regularly visits and attends to a sick person, lose their patience with the person they were caring for. I then understood that the sick and the healthy live in separate worlds.

However, many feelings unite them. The sick, their family, and natural caregivers alike experience pain, worry, and helplessness because of the illness. Suffering arouses a slew of emotions. How can we maintain the spiritual aspect of joy?

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. To find it and keep it alive, we have to pray and contemplate daily the mysteries of Jesus’s life, following the example set by Mary, who “treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51).

Spiritual joy is a manifestation of the Lord’s love for us. It encourages us to look at others “through the eyes of our hearts.” It assures us that the Lord is always present throughout life’s minor and major events. It is usually translated into a serenity that eases the hearts of those who are suffering.