There is something about morning. I was struck that in Thomas Aquinas’s commentary on the gospel he associates morning with “the glory of the resurrection” and quotes Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Yet I ask myself: does joy always come with morning, or does that depend on me?

We have joy when we receive something that we love. Joy is a kind of resting in some beloved good. Now until rather recently I thought of joy simply as something that happens. Yes, I saw the connection of joy to my choices, something along the lines of: choose well and you will find joy. I still think this is true, but I have realized there is a further nuance: we can also choose joy.

Sometimes even when we make good choices joy can be elusive. This is obvious in experience, such as when we feel the absence of certain things we love and desire, even though we are making good choices. A key, then, is that we can choose joy by choosing to focus on the good that is present. Indeed, a wonderful aspect of this is that we can even choose to see the good in suffering. In this way, we can (as difficult as it is) have joy in suffering precisely by seeing the good in it, and rejoicing in it.

So what does this have to do with morning? Well, in my mind, everything. By an amazing and generous Providence, every single day begins with morning! And many mornings are marked by bright sunshine, and this time of year, the singing of birds! Literally every day, we can count on an amazing light, and various attendant sights, sounds, and smells. This is a real, objective new beginning, bathed in beauty and promise.

To see this is not to ‘read-in’ something not there. It is to see reality. But sometimes, we must choose to see. We must choose to see in the sense of intentionally focusing on what we know is there, even while strong forces tend to turn our attention from it.

Lord, help me to let morning be morning. Every day. May I see it for what it is: a recurring call to raise my sights and refocus; refocus on the good that is always offered to me; offered to me intentionally, so that my joy may be complete.

I can choose to be mindful of this truth. And morning is a virtual symphony of actors that call me to such mindfulness. ~ ~ ~

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John Cuddeback

Husband, father, and professor of Philosophy. LifeCraft springs from one conviction: there is an ancient wisdom about how to live the good life in our homes, with our families; and it is worth our time to hearken to it. Let’s rediscover it together. Learn more.