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Day 24 – Joy – An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart – Discerning Hearts Podcasts

An Advent Journey for the Discerning Heart:
Prepare your heart for Christ through Scripture, the saints, and the gentle practice of daily listening.

Part Four: Welcoming Christ with a Heart Fully Awake

DAY 24 – Joy

“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10–11 RSV

Joy is the fruit of love recognized. It is not the same as happiness or emotional excitement. Happiness often depends on what happens around us such as success, comfort, or ease.
Joy, however, springs from the awareness that God is present and faithful, even when life is uncertain or difficult. It is the quiet strength that comes from knowing that love has already triumphed, that the Savior has come, and that His light cannot be overcome.

Advent joy rises quietly from trust. The Savior is near, and the world is already beginning to turn toward light.
Joy awakens when the heart listens and perceives that grace is at work in hidden ways. It does not deny sorrow or ignore suffering. It lives alongside them, transforming them through hope.

The discerning heart learns that joy and hardship are not opposites. The same heart that aches can also rejoice, because it knows the One who holds all things in His mercy. Joy is the song of faith rising even in the shadow of uncertainty.

As Advent nears fulfillment, joy becomes the radiant calm that prepares the soul for adoration. It clears fear, softens heaviness, and opens the heart to receive Christ with gratitude.

Journey with the Saints –

St. Francis of Assisi

“My dear brothers, rejoice in the Lord always.
Let nothing hinder your joy except sin.”
St. Francis of Assisi, Admonitions, XXI

St. Francis of Assisi lived a joy that radiated peace. His joy did not come from comfort or success but from knowing that God loved him and that he belonged wholly to Christ.
He taught his brothers that joy is a sign of trust. When the heart rests in God’s providence, it can rejoice even in poverty or hardship.

St. Francis called this perfect joy, the freedom that comes when nothing can steal the soul’s peace because everything is received as grace. His life reminds us that joy is not earned. It is discovered in gratitude, simplicity, and praise.

One Christmas night in 1223, St. Francis wanted the people of his town to experience the wonder and joy of Christ’s humble birth. In the small Italian village of Greccio, he prepared a simple manger with hay, an ox, and a donkey, and invited the villagers to gather for Midnight Mass. When the Gospel of the Nativity was proclaimed, hearts were moved to tears of love and reverence. The people saw with new eyes the humility of God who became a child.
From that night at

Published on 3 days, 16 hours ago