Jesus is the source of our joy, who remains our friend, with us, along our paths...

Pope Francis offered these words of comfort during his weekly General Audience in the Vatican on Wednesday morning.

After having dedicated a catechesis series to figures who embody apostolic zeal, the Holy Father decided to summarize apostolic zeal in four points, grounded in his first Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. ('The Joy of the Gospel')

This week, Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis to the first of the four points: joy.

Jesus is our joy

"Jesus is our joy," the Pope reassured.

The Holy Father reminded the faithful that as Christians, we have Christ as our faithful friend who is always at our side, no matter what we face. The Lord, the Pope suggested, is always with us, in all we do.

Our personal encounter with Christ, Pope Francis highlighted, makes us new and fills us with joy.

Jesus our friend always with us

The Holy Father lamented when we Christians do not reflect the joy and hope offered by Christ's closeness to us, especially when they seem to have "faces of baccala."

This negativity, or these unhappy faces, he warned, forget the Lord's closeness to us, which instead makes us new.

Pope Francis concluded by underscoring the essential aspect of joy in apostolic zeal, and reassuring that the Gospel message of joy brings us peace and comfort.