Last November Pope Francis released his first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. An apostolic exhortation is a document written by a pope that "exhorts" or urges people to focus on a particular teaching of the Church. From the title alone, which translates to "The Joy of the Gospel," we are able to tell what Pope Francis is urging all of us to embrace – to know and to live the Gospel with so much joy that it transforms us and our communities. I will be completely honest by admitting that I have not yet finished the whole document, but I have been so inspired by what I have read that I want to encourage you to read it with me! It is a document that makes you reflect on your personal faith life immediately. One sentence that caught my attention early on was, "There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter." Not only did this make me laugh and bring to mind people I see in church regularly whose eyes never twinkle and lips never smile, but it spurred many questions for me: Have I fully let the joy of Christ into my heart so I can spread this joy to others? Are there times when I acknowledge his omnipotent presence and times when I ignore it? Can people tell that I am Christian by the way I live my life? Am I able to politely articulate what I believe and why? Do I reciprocate the love that I have received? These questions have been on my mind lately. The answers have helped me evaluate my actions and the also help me discern areas in which I need to grow to truly live my faith. So please, take some time each day to read a few pages of Evangelii Gaudium, reflect on Pope Francis’ words, and let the joy of the Gospel transform you! You can find the PDF version online at the Vatican website at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html
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