When I see a sister sad, I always think that she is refusing to give something to Jesus.
Joyfulness is a sign of a generous and mortified person. A person who, by forgetting all things, even herself, strives in everything she does for souls to please her God. Joyfulness is often a cloak that covers a life of sacrifice, a life of constant connection with God, zeal, and generosity. A person who possesses this gift of joyfulness often reaches a high degree of perfection. After all, God loves a cheerful giver and embraces the religious sister whom He loves.
(Mother Teresa, instructions to the sisters, March 31, 1987; interpretation of the Constitutions)
