Praised be Jesus and Mary, now and forever. 
Today, we're continuing our reflections on Franciscan spirituality and the fruits of following this spiritual path. One of the most important fruits is perfect joy. We'll just say a brief word about it today. God Himself is perfect beatitude and the sure and inalienable possession of Himself, and nothing is lacking to Him or in Him. Man who comes forth from God and has to return to Him. When we look for happiness really deep down, we're looking for God essentially, but since our first parents wanted to reach happiness outside of God and apart from His law. In sinning, they destroyed with their own hands the possibility of being truly happy, and they passed that unhappy state onto us.
Who can restore this possibility for happiness to us? It is Jesus Christ. And the restoration of our happiness will only be done by passing through the cross of suffering. Happiness wished for by the psalmist once again illuminated the world when the Word of God made man appeared among us. "I announce to you a great joy," said the angel. "Today, is born a Savior." Luke 2:10 and 11.
And in His ministry, Jesus pointed to the source of happiness when He preached. "Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake." That's Matthew 5.
And at the end of His life, before giving Himself over to suffering and to death, Jesus promised His disciples the fullness of joy that no one can take away from them. Which He talked about in St. John's Gospel chapters 15 and 16. This joy announced by the gospel and experienced by St. Paul, who abounded with joy in every tribulation, he said in 2 Corinthians 7:4. This joy to which the Church exhorts us with the words of the Apostle himself, who said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, rejoice." Philippians 4:4. In the seraphic spirituality, this joy resounds with a high and clear note like the blare of a silver trumpet in the great orchestra of Catholic spiritualities. Spiritual joy is the most exquisite and mature fruit in the seraphic garden. 
Far from being a fruit purely of human gaiety of pleasure, which always hides in egotistical, subtle complacency, or the thrill of a lower satisfaction. Far from that, perfect joy is not tied to any external or exterior circumstance. Without intermittencies in the unalterable rhythm of its perennial source, it springs out from an intimacy of the spirit that keeps itself united to God in the ineffable, incorporation to Jesus Christ.
And in our next reflection, we'll speak about perfect joy, specifically in the life of our Holy Father, St. Francis. For now, let's just ask Our Lady for the grace to look for and search for the joy which the Lord wants us to have, the spiritual joy which always remains in our soul, no matter what the circumstances around us may be. 
Praised be Jesus and Mary, now and forever.