A joy that cannot be taken away!

WORD 2day: Friday, 6th week after Easter 

May 19, 2023: Acts 18: 9-18; John 16: 20-23

The joy that things give will be gone when the things are gone. A mere feeling, or a moment of happiness that comes from an external reason and or some fulfilled desires, will last just as long as the situation does! There can be a moment soon when no traces of that joy will remain, but experience of stress and sadness may prevail.

Today the Lord promises us a joy that no one can take away from us, which no situation can diminish. The dimensions of this joy is completely different from the joy that the world and its attachments can give. This joy comes from within, not from something out there. This joy comes regardless of pleasure or pain, for it is not merely a feeling of exuberance, but a sense of serenity and security notwithstanding any odds.

The source of this joy is none less than God! The joy that the Lord gives comes from the Spirit residing within, and just as the Lord is, so is this joy: unchanging and ever present! It comes from the fact that God is with us, as the Lord promises in the first reading - with us always, strengthening and empowering us in the daily struggles of life.