Trivia Night is organized by dedicated volunteers and is held twice a year in Essexville’s St. Jude Thaddeus Parish gym. One of the sisters serves as assistant principal of the All Saints Catholic Middle and High School, and we had spent the day cleaning her office area.

We thought it would be good to make an appearance – you know how that goes. Go in, greet everyone, stay for a few minutes and then head home. We learned that people brought their dinners with them; so, we each took some Cheetos and a bottle of water to tide us over.

We arrived in the nick of time and the table was set up for us in the front – who could leave? The games were about to begin, with 26 teams of up to six members. Nine rounds of incompetence – we had no idea about the TV show “Friends,” the music and composers of the ‘90s, islands in the Caribbean. Even with Cheetos stuck to the roof of my mouth, I enjoyed this game.

Finally, we reached the category of sports – a topic I enjoy – but the questions were way beyond me and a gentleman from the next table helped us with that round’s answers. Even with his help, we were in last place … and that seemed to make the evening more enjoyable. We were surrounded by trivia geniuses! Two hours of fun passed. Finally, the last category: the Church. We were ready, scoring 10 out of 10, lifting us to a tie for last place!

What a wonderful evening. As I looked around, I saw families and friends enjoying each other, and enthusiastically supporting a beloved school. Before departing, everyone pitched in to put chairs and tables back in order and clean up.

“A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Good fun involves engagement and companionship. We choose joyfulness. Faith in our Lord’s loving providence leads us to entrust our concerns to Him and to rejoice in His loving presence. May we each find our joy in our Lord and share that joy with others.