No Sourpusses!!!

Who is Pope Francis talking about?

‘Obsessed’, ‘self-absorbed’, ‘sourpusses’

Ave Maria!  The above headline at lifesitenews.com just caught my eye and made me chuckle.  You see, I was wondering the same thing when the news came out about the Holy Father's apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)".  In fact, I didn't believe it at all when I read in an article published by a major news media that Pope Francis used the word "sourpusses" in his first papal document.  I burst out laughing (OK, "snorted derisively" would be a more accurate way to put it except that snorting is so uncouth, especially for a lady, which I always strive to be, even when I'm home alone) and then screeched (also uncouth and unladylike, but it so goes with snorting derisively, which, just so you know, is a rather redundant phrase) "Oh, puleeze!  Here we go again!  The media takes everything out of context and exaggerates grossly!" 

And then, to prove this to myself as well as to allow for the possibility that Pope Francis may have said precisely that, I hastened to the Vatican website for a look-see of "Evangelii Gaudium" as published here.  I copied it onto my hard drive so that I can begin reading it now as a Word document rather than wait until it's published in printed form next month.  Given that it runs 102 pages in a Word document -- which equals 51,680 words -- I enlisted the help of "Find and Replace" as the surest and fastest way of ferreting out those sourpusses.

Guess what I found?  Not only "sourpusses" but also "querulous and disillusioned pessimists"!!!!  Ah, such unsavory characters!!!  (Surely it is not I, Lord?!)

HOWEVER, if we read the Holy Father's words carefully, we see that he did not refer to any particular sourpusses.  In fact, he did not even say that there are sourpusses in the Church and world that we need to get rid of. 

Here's what Pope Francis said:

One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, "sourpusses". #85

OK, so the Holy Father did use the word "sourpusses" -- and yes, the media somewhat took it out of context.

If Pope Francis had any particular people in mind when he spoke of those sourpusses, I don't know who they are.  Nor do I need to know.  What matters to me is that I do my utmost not to be either a sourpuss or one of those "querulous and disillusioned pessimists".

And the way to do this, I believe, is to take to heart the Holy Father's message of "The Joy of the Gospel". 

The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice. #5

Pope Francis explains that such joy is God's gift to us: 

With a tenderness which never disappoints, but [God] always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.  #3

“Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41). In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47). When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29). Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). Our Christian joy drinks of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52). The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34). Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?  #5

Indeed!  The prophet Isaiah promises us that "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Is 12:3).  May our Advent response be to "shout, and sing for joy...for great in [our] midst is the Holy One of Israel" (Is 12:6).

 

"I will rejoice in you and be glad."

~Psalm 9:3

 

 

P.S.  By the way, the Holy Father also used the words "obsessed" and "self-absorbed" in "Evangelii Gaudium" -- another blog post for another day!