Journey to Joy: Let Your Gentleness Be Known

Last February, a photograph showing Pope Francis holding the hand of a little girl with Down syndrome and then sitting with her went viral. Little Gemma Pompili was the youngest member of a Special Olympics team. It made for a heartwarming story.

While Eleanor, the chaplain at Trinity Care Centre in Kitchener, was delivering her homily at the regular Tuesday worship service, a confused resident in the front row stood and excitedly began speaking. Without missing a beat, Eleanor stepped down from the podium, hugged and consoled the woman and, while holding her, continued her homily. Heartwarming.

Both stories highlight the joy that is the result of people letting their gentleness be known to everyone. SPECIAA

From my perspective, this joy-producing gentleness is synonymous with humility. “Get over yourself!” is an admonition to humble ourselves. We don’t need to take ourselves so seriously because “The Lord is near.” His coming into our world is the source of our joy-filled willingness to imitate his humility, his gentleness. He, who “?though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited.” (Philippians 2:6)

Jesus, you came in humility, help me get over myself. Amen. — PH