Servite Domino in Laetitia!
Serve the Lord in Joy!
Don Bosco is famous for imploring his boys to live joyful lives of service to the Lord and others. We asked Shaw students what it means to serve the Lord joyfully in their lives.
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To serve the Lord joyfully means enjoying it and not just doing it because you're told to. We serve the Lord joyfully mainly by spreading his Word, the Good News He wants to give us.
Reflecting on my childhood, I often found that I would just serve the Lord and follow His commands just because I wanted to go to Heaven and not Hell.
As I've grown older, I've come to better understand the truly Good News that God desires my salvation; He wants to share eternal life with me. The excitement of that promise is part of what it means to serve the Lord joyfully.
D'Artanian Miller (Class of '25) was born and raised in Marrero, LA. He is the Freshman class president and a member of Peer Ministry. He is also a member of the Shaw Football and Baseball teams.
To me, serving the Lord joyfully means to be able to live my faith life in total happiness as I know that God will always stand right behind me the whole way.
Even if there are moments where we aren’t living the Christian life as we should, that does not mean that we can’t pursue a good relationship with God. God is always open to His children and is willing to help us out when we call on Him. That is the grace to really serve him joyfully. Some people might be discouraged by the time and the sacrifice that the Christian life can ask of us. Trust me, the time and effort to serve the Lord only results in our joy and in an ever great relationship with God.
Serving the Lord will not always be easy and it will come with challenges. It may even seem impossible. However, when it comes to God, all things are really possible. Remember, as long as you stay by his side, He will stay by yours and this will not only make you joyful in spirit but in your life with God.
Camden Newsham (Class of '23) was born and raised in New Orleans. He is a member of the Chess Club, the Key Club, National Honors Society, and the Shaw Esports team. He is a parishioner of Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Algiers.
I believe that serving the Lord with joy is the best way (if not the only way) to serve Him. However, it’s not possible to serve the Lord joyfully without actually serving Him in the first place! We all have to start somewhere and the good news is that we are not alone: God is right beside us in our mission.
There are many ways to get started. I seek to grow in my faith despite obstacles or difficulties that are in the way. I do so through habitual prayer and through God’s grace. I want to spread this faith throughout my community. A powerful way to do this is leading by example.
Of course, being an example for others can be intimidating. Jesus, Himself, tells us that “if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). I think that’s the importance of being joyful: our happiness in God’s promises and good works is so powerful that there’s no hesitancy to act and to do the right thing.
When I serve the Lord joyfully it feels as if I am also doing a service for myself: I’m growing in relationship with Christ and working alongside Him.
Ultimately, serving the Lord and others with joy allows us to be a part of God’s great work of creation and salvation. That was the vision God had for us in the Garden: that we would be co-creators and co-workers with Him. Our relationship with Him strengthens and we have the opportunity to grow in gratitude for His great gifts.
Clayton Robinson (Class of '22) was born and raised in Algiers, LA. He is a member of Peer Ministry, National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honors Society, and the Shaw Track Team.
Clayton is undergoing preparation to the receive the Sacrament of Baptism this Easter and will be a parishioner of Saint Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Algiers.
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