The laughing Christ

We only need the brilliant light of faith so that we can see, once more, the smile of God!

THE LAUGHING CHRIST

There was this famous painting of a “Laughing Christ” which would always catch my attention.
The painting is so simple. There was only Jesus on the fresco. Laughing.
One day, I was invited by a group of catechists to talk about the said painting.
And I started to take a good look in my file cabinet to see if I have written something which could somehow capture what I wanted to share– happiness.

And so I did. I looked. For two and a half hours.
And that was the first time I realized that I have never written yet any single paper about happiness.
That was the first time I realized that like so many other priests, my reflections are sad.
Always sad. Always negative. Talking only of the sins and the moral sickness of our world.

Perhaps my religion is like that. Perhaps my life experience is like that. Negative. Sad. Sin-centered. Forever gloomy.

I must allow my Christ, my DEAD CHRIST, to rise from the dead, as He actually did, and I must allow Him to triumph, and be victorious over sin and suffering. God is a God who wins. And who smiles.

How about you? Did you ever write a happy reflection? Did you ever, ever– really– as though you meant it– did you ever go beyond the cross and Calvary to the ecstasy of Resurrection?

More often than not, we only think that all the people in our church and in our world are sinners, all sinners and only sinners. We think that there are no saints among us. We believe, many times, that there are no human beings who repent and try again and strive to become better persons.

I must confess. I have not reflected and talked enough about the RISING AGAIN of CHRIST, the VICTORY OF GOD.

Yet how many times have we thought that Jesus could also laugh?

But look at the painting. We have there a laughing Jesus, a happy Jesus. So simple. So calm. So pure. So victorious. We only need the brilliant light of faith so that we can see, once more, the smile of God.

And it is always there. Always beautiful. Always perfect.

And so is our lives. There is beauty, there is heroism and dignity. We should never allow despair to overcome us, for we are all noble heroes in each day of our lives!

And what did I realize then?

That our world is filled with life and happiness and victory and hope and healing and Resurrections. That our face is not only meant for wrinkles and for frowns but for endless smiles and laughter.









Because we are the children of Easter morning! Because we are all children of a wonderful God! Because we are all saved by a happy Jesus!