Joy in the Journey

By SHELLY HOLT

God gave me JOY as my word for 2024. I’ve come to realize that JOY is more than an emotional feeling. It is a concept that undergirds and is the foundation for my entire being. It is a choice I make each day. JOY is a fruit of the spirit which can bear much fruit if it is practiced.

There are many references in scripture pertaining to JOY. Here are some of my favorites:

May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

For the JOY of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

Consider it pure JOY, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 2-3).

The last verse can be a hard pill to swallow when one is faced with multiple trials all at once. Personally, I’ve succumbed to the “crud” that is going around and have been sick for more than three weeks. I’m persevering with JOY as I “offer up” the suffering as Paul taught the Colossians. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church (Colossians 1:24).

One of my favorite songs is by Michael Card. It is called "Joy in the Journey," and it goes like this: “There is a JOY in the journey, there’s a love you can find on the way. There is a wonder and wildness to life and freedom for those who obey.”

Joy in the Journey is the theme of our Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Convention to be held at Church of the Resurrection in Rochester on Saturday, October 12. Please mark your calendars now. More details and registration information will be in the column in the coming months.

Some future events include our next Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women general meeting on Saturday, April 13 at Sacred Heart Church in Brewster. The St. Paul and Minneapolis Province Conference is at St. Mary’s Church in Sleepy Eye on June 25. The National Council of Catholic Women Convention is in Oklahoma City, OK, August 13-17.

If you desire to know more about our vital presence in the churches, areas, and diocese and would like to know how to get personally involved, you can receive the Connecting Catholic Women e-newsletter by sending your request to our editor at wdccw@dow.org. As always, you can connect with me by phone 507-381-2842 or email shellyholttotalwellness@gmail.com

May your Lenten Prayer Fasting and Almsgiving be built upon the platform of JOY as you await the coming of our Risen Savior on Easter Sunday!

Shelly Holt is the president of the Winona-Rochester Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.