God made us for joy. God is joy, & the joy of living reflects the original joy that God felt in creating us.
Pope John Paul IIReal love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus - our Jesus himself - who said: 'You are my friends if you do what I command you'. Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfilment.
Pope John Paul IIDo not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.
Pope John Paul IICondemning class struggle does not mean condemning every possible form of social conflict. Such conflicts inevitably arise and Christians must often take a position in the "struggle for social justice." What is condemned is "total war," which has no respect for the dignity of others (and consequently of oneself). It excludes reasonable compromise, does not pursue the common good but the good of a group, and sets out to destroy whatever stands in its way.
Pope John Paul II