Moments of Joy
Yesterday’s post struck a chord with friends. Debbie wrote ‘It is awesome to know that I am loved and treasured by Him. It is humbling to believe that I am worthy of that love’. And Anne Marie said ‘this message is both uplifting and inspiring’. Reading these messages gave me a reassurance to continue my ministry. They gave me moments of joy. Thank you friends!
In this week’s Gospel - John 15: 9-17 Jesus assures us ‘I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete’. In theology, Joy is understood as a deep sense of happiness and contentment that comes from a relationship with God and the realization of His love and salvation. It is not merely an emotion tied to circumstances but rather a state of being that transcends earthly situations.
It is rooted in faith and trust in God's providence, even in the midst of trials and challenges. We are encouraged to cultivate joy through prayer, sacraments, and acts of charity, understanding that true joy comes from living in accordance with God's will and experiencing His presence in our lives.
I believe that we get glimpses of that complete joy while here on earth that endures to eternity in the next. Last evening, another friend, at a prayer meeting, described her moment of complete joy, as she lay on the bed, immediately after the delivery of her second daughter. This is a beautiful example of how God's grace can fill our hearts with joy even in the midst of physical pain and exhaustion. It's moments like these that reveal the depth of God's love and the sacredness of life.
As Christians we experience these fleeting moments of joy in our eartly lives. I have found, through experience, that we must treasure the memories of these experiences. I think that is what the Gospel writers meant by ‘Mary treasured these things in her heart’.
To do so we must be present and aware of ourselves when they occur. We must stop and savour them. It requires mindfulness and gratitude to recognize the hand of God at work in our lives, even in the smallest of joys.
By treasuring these moments, we draw strength and comfort during times of difficulty and struggle. Reflecting on past experiences of joy can uplift our spirits and remind us of God's faithfulness, helping us to persevere through challenges with hope and trust.
Cultivating a spirit of gratitude and mindfulness allows us to fully embrace the joy that God graciously bestows upon us, both in moments of triumph and in the ordinary moments of everyday life. It's through these moments that we catch glimpses of the eternal joy that awaits us in the presence of God.
NOTICE
I am pleased to announce an upcoming Bible Reading and Study membership program. Please click on the link below to take you to the landing page. The program will include live Zoom classes and online resources. We intend to launch next Monday 13th May. Please proceed to register.
We must indeed recognize and be grateful for our many blessings great and small. Thank you for this insightful Newsletter. I treasure each lesson. Today’s words were precisely the reminder my soul needed to hear.