In the midst of life’s struggles, it can be difficult to be joyful, especially when we are denied physical closeness with those who give us the most joy during perhaps the most joyful season of the year.

Yet, in his 1st Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul reminds us that there is always something to be joyful for, to pray for, to be thankful for: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in all circumstances give thanks. For this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (5:16).

It is easy to forget how blest we are. In the midst of life’s challenges, there is always something to be joyful about, to be thankful for. There is always good news because all we have is a gift from God and because there is no part of our lives that Christ cannot permeate. For every challenge, there is either a blessing that came before it or an opportunity for a blessing after it.

In these difficult times, we might reflect upon our challenges in a positive way. What blessings prior to them might have we taken for granted? How might those challenges be opportunities for growth and blessing from God?

Fr. Steve Werner

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Dayton

St. Marks, Waitsburg

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Pomeroy