A friend suggested it as a possible topic for a blog post, and I have to admit, I probably would never have thought to write about joy on my own. Even though just seeing the word written there brings a smile to my face and a wave of peace through my heart, I'm not sure I have what it takes to write about it. I am more likely to grumble than to notice opportunities to praise God, and I check my e-mail more often than I pray. Nevertheless, here follow a few of my thoughts on the subject.
Joy.
I can't really say the word without thinking of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Overflowing with the love of God, he called everyone he encountered "[his] joy," seeing them as they were created to be, icons of Christ Jesus. "On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit" quotes him as saying, "The Spirit of God fills with joy whatever He touches," and that our joy-filled encounters with the Most Holy Trinity are still merely "foretastes" of the life to come: "...[I]f they fill our souls with such sweetness, well-being, and happiness, what shall we say of that joy which has been prepared in heaven for those who weep here on earth?" He reminds us that there is joy here even in our suffering, and that makes it possible to begin, even now, to live in a place where all sickness, sorrow, and sighing have fled away.
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Joy.
In the Holy Gospels, Christ Jesus uses a metaphor to warn his disciples against false prophets; He says that we can identify a tree by its fruit, and that a diseased tree cannot produce healthy fruit. St. Paul echoes this idea in the fifth chapter of his epistle to the Galatians, calling joy a "fruit of the Spirit," visible evidence that a person is working in unison with the Most Holy Trinity. Furthermore, The Precious and Life-giving Cross is often called "tree," not only synechdochially (i.e., because it was made of wood), but also because it is the mystical fulfillment of the prototypical Tree of Life. As Christians, we choose to become grafted into that tree, to be crucified with Christ Jesus; yet, we also will bear its fruit, which is the joy of the Resurrection. If we commend ourselves and all our lives--even (especially) our suffering--to Christ our God, we ought to have that joy always before us. That is how we can "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4).
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| The Cross as the Tree of Life** |
Joy.
One of the greatest blessings of my life has been seeing how joy fills my children. They are all sweet and wonderful creatures, and each of them brings joy to me in their own way, but right now I am thinking especially of my five-year-old daughter, whom I frequently describe as "ebullient." She is almost always smiling, bouncing, giggling, hugging, sharing. (I'm not kidding. She'll even smile and laugh right after she's thrown up.) Especially at church, when she is reverencing the icons and lighting her candles, she can hardly contain herself. It's all she can do not to hop up and down all the way up there and back, with a smile beaming ear-to-ear. Some of that is the energy of a kindergartener, but mostly, I think it's genuine, 100% pure, heavenly joy. She reminds me to look for joy everywhere, even in little things. I forget that every moment can be an offering to God.
What about you--what are your thoughts on joy? Have you ever encountered a truly joyful person? Have you been able to find joy in your suffering? How do you look for joy in your everyday life? I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Giving birth was the most powerful experience of joy for me. Seeing my children pray and play just makes me bubble over. I also find joy in singing and in simple household rituals such as cooking and laundry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing on this topic! I found your words encouraging, and they brightened my day just at the right time.