"Without joy, faith becomes a rigorous and oppressive exercise, and risks ailing with sadness. Let us consider this word: ailing with sadness. A desert Father said that sadness is “a worm that burrows into the heart”, which corrodes life (cf. Evagrius Ponticus, The Eight Spirits of Evil, XI). Let us ask ourselves this: are we joyful Christians? Am I a joyful Christian or not? Do we spread joy or are we dull, sad people, with a funeral face? Remember that there is no holiness without joy!" Pope Francis

This admonition is in line with the words o St. Paul: "Rejoice in the Lord always...for the Lord is near," When we are witnesses of a life of joy, even in the midst of difficlties, we are proclaimg our faith in Jesus as the Lord of our life. People were drawn to Jesus because "the joy of the Lord was his strngth." If he was a prophet of doom, he would not have been so effective.  Too many Christians have a downcast spirit. What draws people to Christ is the spirit of Paul and Silas. Though beaten and imprisoned for preaching about Jesus, they began to sing and praise God. Be a child of the light through joy than a child of darkness though a sad countenance.