WITH JOY AND CLADNESS

Sister Maryanna, author and poet, brings some of the lyric quality of her verso to this beautifully written study of what true Christian joy can mean in life. Joy and pleasure, the author points out, must not be confused. Pleasure is derived from the satisfaction of the senses while joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit -- a spiritual serenity. It is an effect of the virtue of charity and its result is peace. Her formula for all men to achieve joy is that they strip away the nonessentials that clutter existence, revert to the direct gaze of childhood, and use time for the purpose for which it was given -- to win eternity. Daily contemplation and meditation are absolutely essential for anyone who is to find holy joy in accepting and loving God's will. She feels that today's ""sadness syndrome"" which affects young and old is due entirely to a rejection of God and his plans for men. A book of reflections which may well lead to deep spiritual joy which Sister Maryanna speaks of knowingly.