'A happy life'

Diana von Glahn, the host of EWTN's new travel show, "The Faithful Traveler," recently tweeted:

Feeling great joy for no particular reason. I love it when that happens. Wishing you all the same!!

Joyful optimism is a virtue St. Francis de Sales identified and lauded. In his bestselling book "Introduction To The Devout Life," he wrote that the world slanders devotion, "representing devout persons with a gloomy, sad, and irritable countenance and pretending that religion creates melancholy and unsocial men."

That is not the case, St. Francis asserts. "Even as Josue and Caleb declare that the Land of Promise was good and fair...so the Holy Spirit, speaking by all the saints, and our blessed Lord Himself assure us that a devout life is a lovely, a pleasant, and a happy life."

So go ahead and relish your faith-filled, happy life.

Easter joy 'again and again'

Here's wishing you the joy and the peace of the risen Lord! On Sunday we paused to celebrate this great miracle, but we quickly slide back into our busy lives. So let us heed St. Francis de Sales' advice every day this Easter season:

"When you are physically or mentally occupied, while fulfilling the duties of your state in life, renew as far as possible, again and again, your 'yes' to the will of God."

Indeed, it is a season of renewal, and there is nothing like the Resurrection to compel a bold "yes" to God!