Beyond Sunday / April 4, 2023

Building the Joy Muscle

Looking ahead to the celebration of Easter this Sunday, Rakhi and Nicole comment on what it means to live authentically joyful lives, transformed by the resurrection of Jesus. They highlight how joy can be practiced in all circumstances, despite how we feel and why living with comparison and scarcity mindsets can make it difficult for us to live joyfully. They encourage families to practice gratitude intentionally as a way of entering into the Easter season and living with true joy.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.

Show Notes

(01:17) Rakhi and Nicole celebrate the fact that Easter is nearly here and chat about the ways they are preparing to celebrate with baskets, gifts, etc. They introduce today’s topic of living in the resurrection and reflecting on how Lent has changed us.

(05:13) They discuss the reality of how the resurrection is an invitation to be open to joy no matter how we feel. They talk about letting go of the emotion of joy and embracing the motion of joy by allowing the resurrection to affect the way they see the world.

(07:59) Nicole shares a recent experience where her son was comparing himself to others and feeling a little down during a busy season of fun and exciting experiences, and how she helped him get out of that slump.

(12:01) They draw a comparison between that type of experience and the spiritual life: we can have highs and lows, and sometimes we compare ourselves to others and lose our joy. They highlight the need to not always look for what they want, but to live in gratitude for what we have. Nicole shares how she cultivates gratitude within her family and among her children. They also share how sometimes sorrow and joy commingle, and the need to practice gratitude even in difficult times.

(16:04) They discuss how living with a sense of God’s abundance can be transformative and how they help their children find joy, even in the crosses that we bear. They discuss the ways we can model sacrificial love with joy for our children, just as Jesus endured the cross joyfully, out of love for us.

(19:40) They note how our culture convinces us we should avoid discomfort at all costs, but how there is a grace and a growth that can come from being uncomfortable. They share how important it is to help our kids know that discomfort is okay, and we can still be joyful in the midst of discomfort.

(20:19) They encourage listeners to enter into Easter with their families by sharing gratitude with one another and intentionally practicing gratitude.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by OSV Catholic Bookstore, publisher of An Adoration Treasury for Young Catholics. Help your little ones spend meaningful time before Jesus in the Eucharist with this book featuring a multitude of prayers, hymns, meditations, and ways to pray before the Eucharist, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. Use code “52SUN” for 20% off your purchase of this Eucharistic resource.