The brightness of the day is only tangentially related to the weather, it mostly has to do with me.

Pope Francis asked, "Are you a cheerful Christian or a gloomy one?"

Those who know me well know I have little use for the happy-clappy everything is wonderful brand of Christianity. Recognizing the pain and evil and general brokenness of the world is, however, a far different matter from walking around with your own personal rain cloud.

To be a cheerful Christian is to look the evil and brokenness in the eye and say to it and to all, "Christ is risen!"

He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

May the risen Son give brightness to your life.