Mary, Cause of Our Joy

In the Old Testament’s Book of Maccabees, there is an account of Eleazar’s final words before his death. In his bold profession of faith, he reveals the mystery at work in the heart of every martyr: “I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body . . . but also suffering it with joy in my soul because of my devotion to him,” (2 Maccabees: 6).

Pain in the body, but joy in the soul. It is truly a mystery of the human heart that both emotions can be felt within us at the same time. Without a doubt, the joy is deeper, the joy that “governs” and takes the lead.
However, martyrdom and even long-term suffering are not the only conditions that cultivate this deep joy. We can see this deep joy more straightforwardly at work in many people’s lives. We all know people suffering from serious illness or mental stress who maintain genuine joy through their faithful relationship with the Lord. Yes, “pain in the body, but deep joy in the soul.” Again, we have seen the joy of faith that breaks through the pain. This joy I speak of is not simply a fleeting feeling or an effervescent emotion. It is a deep-seated result of one’s connection to God. Holy joy is always about relationship. This joy has an object, and the object is God. Joy is happiness in God.

What about you? Are you presently experiencing physical, emotional, and perhaps even spiritual pain?  If you are, I offer you a “way” to help you bear and endure such pain and suffering without letting it diminish your hope and squander your faith.  Mary can indeed be the “Cause of Our Joy.” She can help us “go deep” in search of the One who loves us in our pain and promises each of us, even with that pain, a “deep down joy.” She invites us to come to her so that she might bring Emmanuel into our wounded hearts, to shine on our darkness, so that our nights are no longer dark but bright as day, for no one has such an abundance of joy to give as Mary does.  Her soul rejoices, magnifies, and exalts in the wonders of God. The key to finding this joy lies in how she can “hear the Word of God” speaking to her in every event. By filtering the memory of each event through the light of God’s Word, a message is revealed, and the truth is presented, which brings joy, wonder, hope, and gratitude.  

First published in Liguorian January/February 2023 issue