What do you want out of life? That’s a big question, right? I think we all, on some level, want our lives to be full and joyful.

What does it mean to be joyful? You could say a lot of things in response to this question. Perhaps that joy is “being happy” or “finding the good in every situation.” There are plenty of saccharine niceties, but true joy comes from a life lived in the freedom of belonging to God.

When we know who we are as beloved sons or daughters of the Father, and we know we are made for intimacy of communion with Jesus Christ and His people, then we can truly see all as gift.

This is what it is to live in the freedom and the fullness of the Spirit! I think if we are honest with ourselves, we don’t really know the Holy Spirit. Sure, we know the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity; but do we personally know the Spirit in a way that gives our life peace, joy and love? A relationship with God in the Spirit changes us and fills us with an abundance of supernatural life, with grace, and this can’t help but be noticed by others.

A person living in this way has something about them that resonates with all of us on a deep and yet very basic human level. Think about someone you know who is joyful. They bring this gift with them into their conversations, their perspectives, their way of being. And we who see it can’t help but appreciate them for who they are. When we are with them, we can’t help but smile or be lightened by their presence, even if it is in the smallest way.

Therefore to be joyful is to radiate Christ in a way that makes life more abundant.

When we are living for Jesus, we are positioned to be present to what is before us. In doing so, we are able to live each moment with the joy of Christ, who is the source of a full life.

“I came that they may have life and have it to the full.” (Jn. 10:10)

Father Ethan Moore was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in May 2015. He is the head chaplain for the University of Cincinnati campus ministry and pastor of the Uptown Catholic Region which includes the parishes of St. Monica-St. George, Holy Name and Annunciation. Father is a big fan of Chic-Fil-A sauce, motorcycles and karaoke–but mostly living in the Spirit for Jesus!

This article appeared in the November 2022 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here