Fr. Nnamdi Moneme OMV is a Roman Catholic Priest of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary currently on missionary assignment in the Philippines. He serves in the Congregations’ Retreat Ministry and in the House of Formation for novices and theologians in Antipolo, Philippines. …
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice…! Have no anxiety at all.”
These words of St. Paul may appear impossible or out of touch for our anxiety-laden hearts today. We are anxious about the possible new variants of Covid-19. We are worried about our health and the future of our loved ones. We are worried about bills to pay, personal struggles, many threats of wars, losing our personal and social freedoms, struggles in relationships, problems in the Church, etc. Yet, in the midst of all these, Holy Mother Church calls us to pause and rejoice this Gaudete Sunday. How can we be joyful in the midst of so many sources of anxiety?
St. Paul’s words to the Philippians indicate two things that can bring us inner joy in anxious moments. The first thing is to receive and believe in joy as a gift from God. …