Years ago, when I was a seminarian, I was sitting in the chapel praying. Another Columban seminarian, Xavier from Korea, was also praying. At one moment, he turned to me and asked, “Chris, in the bible, when is Jesus happy?” I was caught off guard by the question. It caused my mind to race to find an answer. Eventually, I answered, “I don’t know but I am sure he did experience joy in his life.” It was sometime after that I encountered the passage from Luke’s Gospel (10:17-24) where, after the seventy disciples returned with joy from the mission, Jesus rejoiced with them.
Yet, Xavier’s question always bothered me. As a child, when we entered the church, we were always told to be quiet, don’t laugh, don’t speak loudly, etc., as if God was offended that happy people came to church. Maybe because of this, it’s easier to maintain an image of God that is stoic, distant, and strict. I often asked myself, does God smile? After all, didn’t Jesus warn us about such appearances, “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face …” Matthew 6: 16
Sometime after, I was sent to Chile for my first missionary assignment as a seminarian. I completed two years and prepared to go home. One day I told a young person from my confirmation class that I was preparing to leave Chile. I was surprised when she told me, “Thank you for everything brother. You know when you smile at me, it is as if Jesus is smiling at me.” I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. Of course, I quickly dismissed it and said, “Only Jesus is Jesus.” Looking back, to this day, it has been the greatest compliment I have ever received in my vocation.
Two years later, I had a homiletics class that taught the art of preaching. The professor divided us into small groups of four. We practiced preaching a homily in our small group later to be critiqued by our peers and professor. After I gave my homily, one classmate said to me, “You know, you did something that I never experienced before in a homily, you smiled at me.” I was taken aback. I was unaware I did so but all reassured me that it was a good thing.
Sadly, a priest not smiling while preaching is a common experience for the faithful. As St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th century Spanish mystic, would caution, “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!”
Some years later, as a priest, I was taking advanced studies at Boston College for a degree in Spirituality. In one class, the professor asked all to anonymously write on a small piece of paper one thing we do to make a difference in the church. I thought about it and eventually wrote, I smile in church. The professor collected the notes, and then he randomly read them out loud. When the professor read my note, the class burst out in laughter. However, the professor said, “Why do we laugh? Why is a smile so radical in Christianity?” Once again, St. Teresa of Avila reminds us, “What would happen if we hid what little sense of humour we had? Let each of us humbly use this to cheer others.”
When does God smile? God smiles when we express joy and rejoice. God smiles when Christians smile. Let us be radical in our faith and smile for God! A smile can evangelise more than any words we can say.
Have you had any profound experience of a smile? Share in the comments below!
Columban Fr Chris Saenz SSC is the Columban U.S. Regional Director.
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Michael Curtin:
Jun 18, 2024 at 10:22 AM
I was involved in a ministry to people with same sex attraction, called Courage. Along with the ministry works, there was sometimes comments about others. One man once said, “there is a priest in the cathedral who ‘ he thinks is actively gay’ I guessed he was referring to a priest whom I thought likeable and whom I was attempting friendship with.
When in the cathedral for a crowded Mass, I sat in a viewing area, behind the altar. As the ceremony proceeded my gaze fell on this priest, while I was remembering the Courage man’s words. As I lazily looked, the priest turned a looked at me, giving an intentional smile. I thought this smile was justifiable as much as it troubled me, in my near-identifying because of backchat of this man’s sexual orientation. The priest continued with the ceremony, but never followed the smile up with any moves toward me. I understood that I was not just being troubled, but that I was experiencing the destabilising of the judgement about this man.
Geraldine Rallos:
Jun 21, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Thank you so very much for this very profound and beautiful article on 'Does God Smile', particularly as there seems to be a 'movement' to quash greetings, exchanges between people when they enter a Church prior to the celebration of the Eucharist these days.....maybe this is just our Archdiocese!! How can we expect to build community at the celebration of the Eucharist if we haven't exchanged greetings, supported members with worries, asked for prayers from others etc.....God is sooooo happy when we are in community.