"We recall that another of the Lukan Jesus' puzzling beatitudes was 'blessed are you who weep,' that is to say, lucky are you who are not addicted to the false god of good feelings. Now as an ardent Chestertonian, I certainly subscribe to the dictum 'wherever the Catholic sun doth shine / there is music and laughter and good red wine' and stand, accordingly, against puritanism in all its forms."
That's where I laughed. I can imagine him cocking his head to side, looking down with conviction, although at nothing in particular, his hand rising and falling in a quick, abrasive, chopping motion: "and stand, ... accordingly (chop), ... against (chop) ... Puristanism (pause for effect and sip of wine) in all its forms." I need to read more Chesterton.
The rest of quote is awesome, but more serious.
"There is nothing life-denying or teetotaling or pleasure-eschewing about authentic Christianity; it embraces the joys of human existence with great enthusiasm. However, let me make at least a nod in the direction of the Puritans. Since pleasure - like all good created things - can become an attachment, it too must be disciplined if we are to stay rooted in the center. To stand with Christ is hardly to embrace a hedonistic campaign of marching from delight to delight; rather it is to do the will of the Father even when that costs dearly, even when it conduces to the cross. Therefore the centered person must be ready for pain as well as pleasure, for deep sadness as well as contentment, clinging neither to one nor the other."
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