Offering Joys to the Lord
I have been saying the morning offering every morning for quite some time and it never really hit me until just recently that through that prayer we offer to Jesus not only our daily work and sufferings – something that seems pretty common for us to offer – but we also offer our JOYS:
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
It seems to me that this is something that is often overlooked. It is easy to think of the Lord in times of trouble or sorrow, and we should, in those times unite our sufferings to Jesus on the cross. But Christ wants to share in every part of our lives, that includes our joys! The next time things are going well, or you are enjoying a particularly peaceful or happy moment with friends, family, or even alone in nature, think of Our Lord, thank Him and ask Him to enjoy that moment with you. For without Him, that moment would not be possible!