Trying to make Him smile

Not long ago a colleague ended a prayer offering that we continue to act in ways that make God smile.

The image of making God smile has stayed with me. It prompts my own smile and places a different lens on the day, one that focuses on the good we can do no matter the situation.

Enough gloom and doom persist in the world. We can’t get lost in despair allowing ourselves to become paralyzed. When we consider our options, so much depends on the lens we use to see the world, to see the people before us, and to see the impact of our choices and actions, or even our inactions.

Each November, we pause for a bit to give thanks for our blessings, for all the ways that God makes us smile. Why not also take time to think about all the ways we can make God smile. Beyond just thinking, we can commit ourselves to action.

How fortunate we are that we don’t have to look far for answers. The scriptures provide countless examples, as do the saints and Church teachings. Earlier this year, Pope Francis wrote “Gaudete et Exsultate,” (“Rejoice and be glad”) an apostolic exhortation on the call to holiness in today’s world. The title comes from Matthew 5:12, from the Sermon on the Mount. His exhortation serves as a clear guide to what would make God smile – each of us answering the call to holiness, living according to his will.

“Let everything be open to God; turn to him in every situation,” Pope Francis tells us. (GE15) He adds, “We need to walk in union with him, recognizing his constant love in our lives.” (GE 51) This serves as a reminder that it pleases God when we spend time with him. Whether in prayer, adoration or listening, he wants us to trust him, to rely on him for constant guidance. At the same time, I am sure it makes him smile when we give thanks for the countless blessings in our lives, recognizing that each day is a gift and his graces are boundless. As St. Ignatius reminds us, we can “find God in all things.”

There is certainly much to be joyful about. Psalm 100: 1-5 tells us to “Shout joyfully to the Lord.” But if we really want to make God smile, we can do so with our actions.

“In the light of the master,” chapter three in the exhortation, “Jesus explained with great simplicity what it means to be holy when he gave us the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Lk 6:20-23). The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card.”

What are we doing with our card? Are we taking action, doing our part to make God smile?

Pope Francis writes, “Those faithful to God and his word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness.” Imagine that. As we work to make God smile, he is filling our lives with happiness. Sometimes, however, it is easier to say than to do. We may have the best of intention, but unless we leave the comfort of our routine and get to work, intentions go mute.

The Holy Father points out we often have to go against the flow of the world we live in as “the world pushes us toward another way of living.”  “Let us listen once more to Jesus, with all the love and respect that the Master deserves. Let us allow his words to unsettle us, to challenge us and to demand a real change in the way we live. Otherwise, holiness will remain no more than an empty word.” (GE 66)

He emphasizes “Holiness is also parrhesía: it is boldness…” He cautions us against mediocrity. “Let us not long for an easy life,” he says. “How often we are tempted to keep close to the shore! Yet the Lord calls us to put out into the deep and let down our nets (cf. Lk 5:4). He bids us spend our lives in his service.” (GE 130).

Bishop Daniel E. Flores, in his talk “Accompany is a verb” for the National V Encuentro, reminds us as well we can’t just be spectators. “In a world where no one wants to stop to hear the weeping, and to touch the wound, the Lord asks us for the testimony of closeness, respect, patience and of compassion.”

“The God who became flesh asks us to stop on the road, -- with all our responsibilities and our many things to do – to contemplate the face of Christ in the flesh and blood of the invisible ones of the world, and to extend our lives to embrace the Christ present among us.”

Advent begins Dec. 2. Perhaps as we make our Christmas lists, we can also make time to respond to the Holy Father’s invitation to read the Gospels and find ways to put our faith into action. Let’s be bold, accompanying one another; let us look for ways to make God smile. Ad majorem Dei Gloriam, “all for the greater glory of God.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola.)

(Originally published in November 2018 edition of The Valley Catholic newspaper)