Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says that He wants to share His joy with us. What exactly is the joy that Jesus wants to give us and how will we find this joy in the midst of our daily lives?
Over the recent past, the Mass readings have been focused on the Gospel of John. Over and over, Jesus reminds us that we are called to love just as He loves. Today’s reading, Jesus tells us that the love that He shares with the Father is the same love He has for us. When we keep the commandments of the Father, we keep Jesus’ commandments and we remain in His love. This is how Jesus says that His joy will be in us and it will be complete.
What is this joy that Jesus is talking about? In his humanity, Jesus knew great suffering, rejection, betrayal, and hatred, and yet Jesus experiences joy that He wants to share with us. The joy that Jesus offers is more than just a feeling of happiness. This joy of Jesus comes from His deep rooted trust that the Father loves Him greatly and all the details of His life are part of God’s plan. In obedient love to the Father, Jesus says “yes” to everything- the pain, the success, the discouragement and whatever the future holds, because Jesus knows that all will be well. This belief in the Father’s love allows Jesus to live in peace and confidence where He is united with the Father through the Spirit. This is where Jesus finds His joy.
This is the joy that Jesus offers to us. How can we experience this joy in our lives? As disciples of Jesus, we are called to follow Him in the ways we love. Just as Jesus has great trust in the Father, we are invited to have faith that God loves us so dearly at all times- even when it seems like the world is falling apart around us. This deep love of God is the overarching reason we can live in a radical way. Our lives can be vessels of love and mercy because we have experienced firsthand God’s great love and mercy. I realize that experiencing this deep abiding presence of God’s love would completely change how I view the world and my daily living. Having the confidence that God is with me and cares for me and my future would certainly be a reason for joy.
I think each of us longs to experience this joy that Jesus offers. This joy does not seem to be something that just suddenly happens, but develops over time when we continue to grow in our love and trust in God. Finding joy in the blessings seems easy, but finding joy in the challenges reveals this deeper faith that says even in the pain – we know that God is there and holding us close. When we are able to arrive at the point where we completely surrender our lives in trust to God, then we will be like Jesus and we will know His joy, and it will be complete. Every moment of our life is an opportunity to allow the Spirit to increase the joy in our lives, as we allow God’s love to lead the way.
Loving Father, Jesus invites us to remain in Your love, so we may be one with You. Send down Your Spirit so we may know the joy that comes from lives lived in Your love. May we bring this joy and love to the world around us; we pray this in Christ’s name. AMEN.
—Marylynn Herchline