“The greater joy is derived from sacrifice...The joy felt when one receives is a human joy. However, the joy felt when one gives is a divine joy."
-St Paisios the Athonite, Spiritual Counsels, Volume V, Passions and Virtues. pg 305
"Through the Cross, joy has come into the whole world..."
- Sunday Orthros Before psalm 50
Reflection:
Human joy is limited; we end up getting used to whatever external thing we have received. Divine Joy fuels us for eternity; filling our lives with motivation, purpose, and deeper meaning. When we sacrifice for God and others, there is something holy in that action, something deep within us is stirred about.
When we sacrifice for God and others, we cannot help but want to give more(1), because our experience of authentic joy results from following in Christ’s footsteps and sacrificing for God and neighbor.
It may be difficult to think about making sacrifices in our current circumstances amidst the pandemic. It is times like these that we Orthodox Christians are called to shine even greater. We may have lost much already, but there is someone else who can always benefit from our sacrifice. God sees our sacrifices, and rewards us with inner peace and joy - ultimately bringing us closer to Him and one another.
When we sacrifice without any expectation of anything (words or deeds) in return, it comes from our love for God and neighbor.(2)
“Concealed within our love for our neighbor is our great love for God”.(3) The two go hand-in-hand: when we love God, we sacrifice for Him, when we love neighbor, we sacrifice for them; within each is concealed the love for the other, since each of us are made in the image and likeness of God.
True divine joy comes from divine sacrificial love, that which Christ showed us through His Incarnation, His Passion, the Cross, and Resurrection. Do we wish to feel deep, authentic joy? Let us live a Christ-centered life in the Church and love God and neighbor as He loved us.(4)
