Knowing Don Orione: St. Luigi Orione’s Sense of Humor, Part 2: Dances, Songs and Glandness in the Lord

I Want to be the Saint of Dances, Songs and Gladness in the Lord.

In a letter to a Franciscan priest who was to preach their annual retreat, Fr. Orione expressed his desire to serve the Lord with gladness and to be the saint of dances, songs and gladness in the Lord.

Let us serve the Lord with gladness: our charism has to be one of joyful charity, our doctrine to be total delight in the Lord, and our life has to be in the Lord, in the Lord, in the Lord, joyfully in the Lord.

Dear Father, today I have a great longing to dance: - Will there be dancing in heaven?

If there is music, there will be dancing too. I want to sing and dance forever. Maybe the Lord will make me a special little corner where I won’t disturb the contemplatives!
I'm glad that Heaven will be a continual celebration - and at celebrations there is always joy, singing, dancing and joy in God. I want everyone to be happy, singing and dancing forever; I want to be the saint of dances, songs and delight in the Lord.[1]

I Want to Be Glad and Dance in the Lord, Even During Lent!

How can we attract vocations if we are not happy? A question to reflect on seriously. We have to radiate the happiness of God and to be saints of joy.

Working as we do with the young and with the people – how can we attract them to God if we aren’t cheerful?

Cheerful in the Lord, of course I mean!

We have seminarians, staff, priests, hermits, - if we are taciturn and always sunk in thought, they will find us heavy going, and we will fail to make them love the Community and the Congregation. We are not Trappists: we find joy in Charity: we are saints of joy.

Woe betide us if we are always solemn and go around with mournful Lenten faces! Absolutely not! I want to be cheerful and dance in the Lord even during Lent! If we are gloomy, how can we transmit happiness to those around us? We must radiate joy, the joy of God, the happiness of God. We must make them realize that serving and loving God means life, warmth and love, living in constant cheerfulness; and that only as God’s servants will we experience joyful peace, and the good and holy joy of life.
No doom and gloom either for us or those who are with us! Sing! Play music! Be glad in the Lord! Fill the house with sweet joyfulness! Serve the Lord merrily! “Scruples and melancholy, get away from me!” said St. Philip. I want to dance, to sing and to play music, even when I am dead. [2]