Holy Bat Joy! - First Fridays with Francis

I look forward to my regular column called "First Fridays with Francis" where I share what  our Holy Father has  said that has been inspirational to me. 
    This month I have taken my inspiration from his homily at Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence on April 24.  Pope Francis spoke of Christians who are afraid of the joy of Christ’s resurrection.  He compared them to bats hiding in dark caves that prefer the shadows and avoid the light.

“This is a Christian’s disease. We’re afraid of joy. It’s better to think: Yes, yes, God exists, but He is there. Jesus has risen and He is there. Somewhat distant. We’re afraid of being close to Jesus because this gives us joy. And this is why there are so many ‘funeral’ (mournful) Christians, isn’t it? Those whose lives seem to be a perpetual funeral. They prefer sadness to joy. They move about better in the shadows, not in the light of joy, like those animals who only come out at night, not in the light of day, who can’t see anything. Like bats. And with a little sense of humor we can say that there are Christian bats who prefer the shadows to the light of the presence of the Lord.” – Pope Francis

 So what do bats have to do with it all?  Read more... Cyndi