Joy is underappreciated value, says Father James Martin
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
LAKEWOOD – Jesuit Father James Martin calls joy an underappreciated value in the life of the Church today.
If that’s the case, you couldn’t prove it from the reactions of the more than 300 people who turned out to hear him at the 13th annual Upper Room Spirituality Conference at Georgian Court University Nov. 13.
In two riveting, witty and spiritually uplifting keynote presentations, Father Martin, noted author and associate editor at America Magazine, delighted one and all with his insightful and inspirational tour of Catholic imagination at its best.
He began by presenting a picture of those who just can’t seem to incorporate humor into a Church setting. “We’ve all met Catholics who think being religious means being deadly serious all the time,” Father Martin said. “If being deadly serious is the way the angels sing, we’re in trouble.”
And he presented several theories about why the Church often seems to sing that “deadly serious” song.
These theories ranged from New Testament expert Amy Jill Levine’s hypothesis that the Church didn’t have a gift for understanding first century humor. “What we think is funny might not have seemed funny” to Jesus’ contemporaries, he said.
Greek and Roman cultures might also have played a role in downplaying humor. “Roman culture, for instance, prized gravitas and pietas above all,” he said. The popular theory that joy and enthusiasm led to amorous rather than spiritual pursuits couldn’t have helped, he said. Neither could a lack of imagination about Jesus.
He encouraged everyone to turn to the Scriptures and expand their insights into Jesus. “Just because he wept didn’t mean he didn’t laugh,” Father Martin said. The scriptural Jesus, he said, embraced people who had the gift of humor.
And so, he said, did the saints.
“Most saints were joyful,” he said, spinning off a litany of holy men and women with a flair for humor including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Francis, St. Lawrence, St. Therese of Avila and St. Philip Neri. “They had a gift for humor and they drew people to themselves who appreciated that gift.
Humor runs like a consistent thread, he said, through the lives of many saints.
As he does often during such presentations, Father Martin offered his famous “10 reasons” why humor has a place in the life of the Church. Included among them are that humor is a wonderful evangelizing tool because it shows the positive aspects of Christian life.
Humor is also a tool for humility. “All of us can get puffed up,” he said. “Humor is a good equalizer.”
Father Martin said that humor also puts things in perspective, it speaks truth to power – Jesus, he said, used humor as a weapon against arrogance and pride. As in the case of St. Lawrence, who managed a joke even as he was being martyred, humor can show Christian courage. It deepens our relationship with God, helps with the healing process and is a great stress reliever.
“When you laugh, you feel less threatened,” he said. “And humor is fun…it is a gift from God.”
During a break, Father Martin talked about the benefits of joy and laughter during these trying times. “We all need to remind ourselves not to take ourselves so seriously,” he said. “Humor gives us a bit of a break. It can help us feel relaxed. It can relieve stress.
It’s a sign, he said, that we are all children of God. “Humor and joy,” he said, “are gifts of the Spirit.”
Sister of St. Joseph Trudy Ahern, one of the spiritual directors of the Upper Room, said Father Martin’s take was just what the times called for.
“I think you can see by the response, by the number of people who came out and their reaction that this was just what we all needed: something lighter, something that spoke of the joy of Christian life.
“With the state of the economy and the state of the world, there’s a real need for gifts such as his. This was a good choice,” she said. “He conveyed a real sense of hope.”
Lois Rogers is available at [email protected].
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LAKEWOOD – Jesuit Father James Martin calls joy an underappreciated value in the life of the Church today.
If that’s the case, you couldn’t prove it from the reactions of the more than 300 people who turned out to hear him at the 13th annual Upper Room Spirituality Conference at Georgian Court University Nov. 13.
In two riveting, witty and spiritually uplifting keynote presentations, Father Martin, noted author and associate editor at America Magazine, delighted one and all with his insightful and inspirational tour of Catholic imagination at its best.
He began by presenting a picture of those who just can’t seem to incorporate humor into a Church setting. “We’ve all met Catholics who think being religious means being deadly serious all the time,” Father Martin said. “If being deadly serious is the way the angels sing, we’re in trouble.”
And he presented several theories about why the Church often seems to sing that “deadly serious” song.
These theories ranged from New Testament expert Amy Jill Levine’s hypothesis that the Church didn’t have a gift for understanding first century humor. “What we think is funny might not have seemed funny” to Jesus’ contemporaries, he said.
Greek and Roman cultures might also have played a role in downplaying humor. “Roman culture, for instance, prized gravitas and pietas above all,” he said. The popular theory that joy and enthusiasm led to amorous rather than spiritual pursuits couldn’t have helped, he said. Neither could a lack of imagination about Jesus.
He encouraged everyone to turn to the Scriptures and expand their insights into Jesus. “Just because he wept didn’t mean he didn’t laugh,” Father Martin said. The scriptural Jesus, he said, embraced people who had the gift of humor.
And so, he said, did the saints.
“Most saints were joyful,” he said, spinning off a litany of holy men and women with a flair for humor including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Francis, St. Lawrence, St. Therese of Avila and St. Philip Neri. “They had a gift for humor and they drew people to themselves who appreciated that gift.
Humor runs like a consistent thread, he said, through the lives of many saints.
As he does often during such presentations, Father Martin offered his famous “10 reasons” why humor has a place in the life of the Church. Included among them are that humor is a wonderful evangelizing tool because it shows the positive aspects of Christian life.
Humor is also a tool for humility. “All of us can get puffed up,” he said. “Humor is a good equalizer.”
Father Martin said that humor also puts things in perspective, it speaks truth to power – Jesus, he said, used humor as a weapon against arrogance and pride. As in the case of St. Lawrence, who managed a joke even as he was being martyred, humor can show Christian courage. It deepens our relationship with God, helps with the healing process and is a great stress reliever.
“When you laugh, you feel less threatened,” he said. “And humor is fun…it is a gift from God.”
During a break, Father Martin talked about the benefits of joy and laughter during these trying times. “We all need to remind ourselves not to take ourselves so seriously,” he said. “Humor gives us a bit of a break. It can help us feel relaxed. It can relieve stress.
It’s a sign, he said, that we are all children of God. “Humor and joy,” he said, “are gifts of the Spirit.”
Sister of St. Joseph Trudy Ahern, one of the spiritual directors of the Upper Room, said Father Martin’s take was just what the times called for.
“I think you can see by the response, by the number of people who came out and their reaction that this was just what we all needed: something lighter, something that spoke of the joy of Christian life.
“With the state of the economy and the state of the world, there’s a real need for gifts such as his. This was a good choice,” she said. “He conveyed a real sense of hope.”
Lois Rogers is available at [email protected].
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