Christian Joy
1. Christianity is neither sad nor pessimistic. On the contrary, it is
the harbinger of “great joy,” (Luke 2:10) to quote the expression used
by the Angels when they announced to the shepherds the birth of Jesus in
Bethlehem.
Obviously, this joy is something quite distinct
from sensible pleasure. It is the spiritual happiness which accompanies
an innocent life, sorrow for sin, or suffering bravely borne for the love of God.
Any other form of earthly happiness can never be more than a partial
and transitory pleasure, incapable of satisfying the human heart
completely. When Christianity urges us to be detached from worldly
objects, however, it does not condemn the joys of the present life. The
historian Tacitus was very far from the truth when, in the description
in his Annals of the burning of Rome at the time of Nero, he accused the
Christians of hating the human race, although not of having set fire to
the city. Although the teaching of Christianity is preoccupied with the
joys of Heaven, it does not frown upon legitimate worldly pleasures.
Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were in the power of
the devil.” (Acts 10:38) He loved to give joy to others and sanctified
the marriage feast of Cana by His presence and by working His first
miracle there. He restored happiness to the widow of Naim by raising her
son to life, and to Martha and Mary by giving them back their brother,
Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. He spent His entire life
giving happiness to others.
There is only one kind of merriment
which Christianity cannot countenance, and that is the inordinate
pleasure which leads to sin or is the result of sin. This kind of
pleasure has no kinship with spiritual joy. It is a momentary exaltation
which soon disappears and leaves behind disillusionment and remorse. It
leads inevitably to sorrow; this is a chastisement from God which can
only become meritorious if it is offered up in expiation. “The end of
joy may be sorrow,” (Prov. 14:13) says the Book of Proverbs. For this
reason let us seek spiritual joys, not those which lead to sin nor those
which are the result of sin.
2. In his letters St. Paul
frequently exhorts the early Christians to be joyful. “Rejoice in the
Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4) “The fruit of the Spirit
is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindliness...” (Cf. Gal. 5:22) But we
are to remember that “the kingdom of God does not consist in food and
drink, but in justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom.
14:17)
St. Paul emphasises that this joy need not be lost in
times of tribulation. “I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in
all our troubles.” (2 Cor. 7:4) In the life of a Christian, joy and
sorrow are not mutually exclusive, but complement and perfect one
another.
This does not mean that Christianity essentially
transforms human nature and banishes the pangs of suffering. It means
simply that everything in human nature is purified and elevated so that
it may be deserving of Heaven, where true and lasting happiness is to be
found. “Be fervent in spirit,” says St. Paul, “serving the Lord,
rejoicing in hope,” (Rom. 12:12) “and as sorrowful, always rejoicing.”
(2 Cor. 6:10)
3. If we live good lives, hoping for a Heavenly
reward and guided by the action of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us,
we shall possess this spiritual joy. Once we possess it, it will be
erased neither by temptation nor by suffering nor by persecution, as
long as our faith remains firm and steadfast. The sincere Christian
accepts pleasure and pain with equal readiness because he places
everything in God's hands.
This explains what Jesus had in mind
when He said: “Blessed are you poor . . . Blessed are you who hunger . .
. Blessed are you who weep . . . Blessed shall you be when men hate you
and when they shut you out and reproach you . . .” (Luke 6:20-22) The
Saints were happy in spite of suffering and persecution. We must try at
least to achieve that spirit of complete resignation to God's will which
is always rewarded by peace of soul.
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