Dwight Duncan on Smiling and Having a Sense of Humor as Signs of Holiness

"At the end of the new feature-length documentary 'Pope Francis: A Man of His Word,' still playing at local movie theaters, the Pope encourages us to smile and have a good sense of humor. His various solemn pronouncements have usually been named with some variant of joy: from the 'Joy of the Gospel' to the 'Joy of Love.' Indeed, his recent Apostolic Exhortation on the Call to Holiness in Today's World is aptly entitled 'Rejoice and Be Glad,' which repeats the idea of being happy, really happy, as a response to the good news of Jesus Christ, a bit like the Magi who, as St. Matthew tells us, 'rejoiced with exceedingly great joy,' when they rediscovered the star that led them to Bethlehem."

In a recent commentary, Dwight G. Duncan, professor at UMass School of Law Dartmouth, reflected on the role of a sense of humor in our spiritual lives.

To access Professor Duncan's complete post, please visit:

Boston Pilot: Echoes. Smiling and having a sense of humor as signs of holiness (1 JUN 18)