The first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians encourages us to “always be joyful . . . this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18).  Indeed, St. Paul describes himself as “in pain yet always full of joy” and “overflowing with joy” in all his hardships (2 Corinthians 6:10, 7:4).  St. Paul was no stranger to sufferings.  In 2 Corinthians 11:23-29, we read that Paul endured prison, floggings, lashes, beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, other dangers, hunger, thirst, lack of clothing, and anxiety.  Yet, the Scriptures, through him, command us to always be joyful!  How is this possible?  

It is possible because joy does not come from the absence of sufferings, but from the presence of Jesus.  As the Psalmist says, the Lord gives us “unbounded joy” in his presence (Psalm 16:11), gladdening us with the joy of his presence (Psalm 21:6).  From his very birth, the angel proclaimed Jesus’s presence with us as “news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people” (Luke 2:10).  And when Jesus appeared to the disciples after his death and resurrection, “they were filled with joy at seeing the Lord” (John 20:20); “their joy was so great that they still could not believe it” (Luke 24:41).  

The Scriptures instruct us to be active in seeking joy.  “Do not abandon yourself to sorrow, do not torment yourself with brooding.  Gladness of heart is life to anyone; joy is what gives length of days.  Give your cares the slip, console your heart, chase sorrow far away; for sorrow has been the ruin of many, and is no use to anybody” (Sirach 30:21-23).  Prayer and thanksgiving are indispensable in actively seeking joy.  Immediately after the command to always be joyful, we are also commanded to pray constantly and to give thanks for all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; see also Philippians 4:4, 6).  In all our struggles, sufferings, and sorrows, we can pray, Lord, please be with me and grant me your joy.  

The Bible also gives us examples of prayers for joy:

• Lord of heaven, please turn my grief to joy (Tobit 7:16).

• Fill your servant’s heart with joy, Lord, for to you I raise up my heart (Psalm 86:4).

• Lord, please fill me with all joy and peace in my faith, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit I may be rich in hope (Romans 15:13).

Jesus promises, “ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete” (John 16:24)!

The Scriptures give us countless sources of joy from the Lord, none of which depend on our lives being free from sufferings.  Below are just a few examples:

The Word of God

The Word gives us every reason to rejoice.  Through the Word, we come to know our Lord—his faithful love and constancy, despite our unfaithfulness and inconstancy.  As the Psalmist says, “I will delight and rejoice in your faithful love!  You, who have seen my misery, and witnessed the miseries of my soul” (Psalm 31:7).  We rejoice in God’s promises “like one who finds a vast treasure” (Psalm 119:162).  We see that the Word is active and alive (Hebrews 4:12), sent forth to heal us (Psalm 107:20) and to give us life (John 6:63).  If we need to grow in a particular area, we can prayerfully read a passage about that topic and find the Word actively transforming us as we ponder and treasure it in our hearts (e.g., reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to become more loving).  Like the prophet Jeremiah, we should say, “when your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the joy of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). 

The Commandments and Wisdom

In John 15:10-11, Jesus says, “if you keep my commandments you will remain in my love . . . I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.”  Sometimes, we go our own way and do not follow the Lord because we think that we know what is best for ourselves.  We forget that the Lord has given us his commandments for our good (Deuteronomy 10:13) and that his ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9).  But Jesus tells us that if we keep his commandments, we will remain in his love and full of his joy.  As we come to know the love of God more, fears we have of surrendering ourselves to him should fade since love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).  And with the Psalmist, we can proclaim, “in the way of your instructions lies my joy, a joy beyond all wealth.  I will ponder your precepts and fix my gaze on your paths.  I find my delight in your will; I do not forget your words” (Psalm 119:14-16).

We should also pray for wisdom to understand what is pleasing in God’s eyes and what agrees with his commandments (Wisdom 9:9).  When we seek wisdom, we “will find rest in her and she will take the form of joy” for us (Sirach 6:28).

Salvation

The Scriptures call us to give thanks to the Lord and to praise him because he has redeemed us.  As the Psalmist says, “my lips sing for joy as I play to you, because you have redeemed me” (Psalm 71:23) and “come, let us cry out with joy to the Lord, acclaim the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1).  In the New Testament, Jesus instructs his disciples to rejoice because their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).  Likewise, St. Paul reminds us to pray in thanksgiving and “with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God’s holy people and with them to inherit the light” (Colossians 1:12).  Our salvation is a “great joy,” even though for a short time we must bear all sorts of trials so that the worth of our faith may be proved and fill us with “a joy so glorious that it cannot be described” (1 Peter 1:6-8; see also James 1:2-4).  

Humility and Patience 

The eyes of the Lord “are drawn to the person of humbled and contrite spirit” who trembles at his Word (Isaiah 66:2).  Mother Mary is the perfect example of this truth—“my spirit rejoices in God my Savior because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant” (Luke 1:47-48).  When the Lord looks upon us in our lowliness and turns his ear to our cry (Psalm 34:15), we can rejoice even in our sorrows, knowing that he is with us.  “The lowly will find ever more joy” in the Lord (Isaiah 29:19).  

In the “uncertainties of [our] humble state,” the Lord calls us to be patient (Sirach 2:4).  “A patient person puts up with things until the right time comes, but his joy will break out in the end” (Sirach 1:23).  We may feel anxious or fearful about some of the uncertainties in our lives.  The Lord knows this, and he tells us to trust him and promises to uphold us (Sirach 2:6).  When we cling to him in love, he will free us from our fears (Psalm 91:14; Psalm 34:4), and as we trust in his promise that he is working all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), it becomes easier to rejoice.

One another 

We can be a great source of joy for one another.  Our love and kindness bring joy—“I have received much joy and encouragement by your love” (Philemon 7), and “a kindly glance gives joy to the heart” (Proverbs 15:30).  We should also rejoice when our brothers and sisters remain faithful to the truth (3 John 3-4), as well as when they turn back to the truth.  In the parable of the prodigal son, the father instructs his older son—“it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32).  Similarly, seeing the Lord’s work in the lives of others brings joy—“the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbors and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy” (Luke 1:57-58).  We are called to rejoice with others when they rejoice (Romans 12:15).

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If we make the Lord our joy (Psalm 37:4), we can rejoice no matter the circumstances because he is with us.  Brothers and sisters, I wish you joy in the Lord (Philippians 3:1)!