Continuing our Conversations with God on JOY

Woohoo! Thank God for a day without headache!! It feels like, well, literally a NEW lease on life!! Amen to that!

Ok, so just checking in with everyone to see how the week's contemplation/musings/conversations with God on JOY is coming along? If you haven't already done so, PLEASE start writing down the verses in your journal--and maybe even add the ones that have popped up throughout the week in your personal readings/reflections, as well as the ones offered throughout the comments too. 

I am absolutely LOVING the musings that are coming across the blog--as well as, crazy as it always seems, through the things that have been popping up in my inbox about JOY! I remember being amazed when a teacher told us to "keep watch, and witness" the Truth that whenever God has a message to give to His people, He sends the HolySpirit to every pulpit (no matter the denomination!), into every inbox, alongside every roadside, through every open book, into every "random" conversation until His Word is spoken and heard. Even through the dullness of my headaches last week, I could not help but take note that every day there was yet another article about JOY in my inbox.  (The most recent one was from my Jewish learning site--a call to a study on living a "Better Life" entitled: Do You Live A Life of JOY? Hah! How's THAT for a confirmation of our study!)

Isaiah 55:10-11
For just as from the heavens 
   the rain and snow come down
And do not return there till they have watered the earth, 
   making it fertile and fruitful, 
Giving seed to him who sows 
   and bread to him who eats,
So shall My word be 
   that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void, 
   but shall do My will,
   achieving the end for which I sent it.

So!! How has your week of study on JOY been, ladies? Any new thoughts, changes or deepening in understanding on this concept? Can't wait to hear what the HolySpirit has been asking you to share!

Just in case, I am again including the verses for our discussion tomorrow, plus a few added ones from the comments and posts from this week:

1 Peter 1:8-9

Hebrews 12:2

Phil 1:3-5

Phil 4:6-7

James 1:2-3

Psalm 30:5

Romans 15:13

Psalm 94:19

Psalm 149:4

Psalm 118:24

Galatians 5:22-24 

also:

Nehemiah 8:10 

Psalm 4:7 (or if using a catholic edition--Psalm 4:8)

CCC 2648

CCC 1817

Note: the last two are from the Catechism of the Catholic Church as mentioned in Lorraine's post.  I have actually added them as direct links to the paragraphs in the CCC, but just fyi--we have a link for the Catechism of the Catholic Church along the lefthand side of our blog! To search up a topic or a specific paragraph, just click on the link and go to the middle of the opening page where it says "Search the Catechism of the Catholic Church." Type in your word or paragraph number in the search box et voila! Start investigating the incredible richness of teachings within!

See everyone tomorrow!
love
maggie

Uncovering JOY

Uncovering JOY

1817 Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." "The Holy Spirit . . . he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life."

When we were studying Hope, I looked up Hope in the catechism for a definition.  It made me realize hope is not me, as one person, being Hopeful for a situation to work out (of course, this is what happens a lot in my life I pray for things to work out!), but it is the hope for something so much greater, which should transcend my wanting one thing to work out!  So that has been weighing on me to look higher, like Helen said, not to look down at the situation but up to God.  So, I really have been looking at that over Christmas time.  I now realize how much this is tied into JOY! So there are a lot of entries for joy in the catechism and the one I realize pertains to what I have been thinking about:

2648 Every joy and suffering, every event and need can become the matter for thanksgiving which, sharing in that of Christ, should fill one's whole life: "Give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thess 5:18).

When I have a difficult situation and I finally give it to God (if I just try to “fix” it myself –sometimes it is a MESS!), I pray for the situation and then I thank God.  The more I thank God the more comforted I am and that is when I SEE the joy.  It has been difficult to find the time to just BE – so many things need to be done.  So I am thoughtfully taking time to sit and pray.  I also want to go to adoration.  I am trying to focus more on the understanding that I have Jesus right in front of me all the time in the Eucharist. I so often think of how many of our ladies go to daily mass…so beautiful!   I read a booklet called “I wait for you” from a book called “The Way of Divine Love” from Sister Josefa Menendez (1890-1923).  It was a nun that Jesus appeared to and discussed the Eucharist.  I was struck by the beauty of the words……  “Still I wait all night and watch in the tabernacle for that soul….fervently hoping that she will come and receive Me... that she will converse with Me with all the trust of a bride... telling Me of her sorrows, her temptations, her sufferings…asking My advice and begging for the graces she needs for herself or others… Perhaps she has dependent on her or in her family souls that are in danger and far from Me?... “Come,” I say to her, “let us discuss everything with perfect freedom… Be concerned about sinners…Offer yourself to make reparation.. Promise Me that at least today you will not leave Me alone…”

So, I have been trying to not focus on the myopic issues that surround me, but instead on the higher amazing, incredible, wow!! ness of My God, My Lord, and all the “things” that He has done for me and then as pure Love from Jesus -  the Holy Spirit that is willing to indwell in the mess that I am….Hence JOY! 

And then when Deb Marley sent her reflection on the verses – it solidified it even more for me!  Thank you for sharing Deb! Deb's reflection on two of the verses: 

Phil 4:6-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice! Your kindness should be know to all. The Lord is near.

How awesome is it that Paul reminds us that we are not left alone or to our own strength, but that the Lord is near, with us, to guide us to protect and strengthen us and that knowledge in and of itself is worthy of rejoicing - To me, that knowledge of God’s presence and providence brings peace and joy - a rejoicing and gratitude in the omnipresence of God!

Romans 15:13 “May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I just love this verse - it really speaks to me about God’s Grace - in that God in whom hope is abundant fills me with joy and peace and fortifys my faithfulness to grow in joy and peace so that I may be full in the hope of God’s providence.. I don’t know if this makes sense- but this verse is very powerful to me and I will return to it frequently to consider its truth over and over again. - just love it!

Thank you all for your openness in bible study to enable us to really get in there and see where the topic of Joy can take us!  I am so thankful for all of you! 

Daily Devotional on Joy

Hi Ladies, Here’s what popped up in my inbox today. Yes, joy is hard to explain but I love how it’s described below - that it is an experience of gratitude - of being glad for life in the presence of the Giver of life. 

WHAT IS JOY?

    Joy is the experience of gratitude, of being glad for life in the presence of the Giver of life.  Joy is also the will to give back to another something of what one is and has for the sheer desire of sharing the gift.  Joy is a blend of gratitude and giving.  This truth was brought home to me one night after hearing Isaac Stern play Brahms violin concerto in D Minor.  We all received his gift and we blessed him for it by our applause. He bowed and accepted our gift of praise!  We stood.  Some of us called "Bravo, Bravo!"  I was in ecstasy, and I suddenly became aware that I had more joy in the applause than in the concert itself.  I had felt the goodness of Stern's gift and was giving freely of my gift in return.  And I knew that this experience was a paradigm of human joy in a life given by a loving Creator.

    Jesus told us that His reason for coming and speaking in our world was to share His joy with us (John 17:13).  We have joy only in fragments, to be sure, and we need to savor the moments when our hearts are opened to the goodness of life, no matter what the occasion.  It may be in a rush of God's Spirit through our being while we pray.  It may be in the loving embrace of another person, the good fellowship of friends, the discovery of a new insight into a piece of art, or the shimmering beauty of a sunset over the ocean.  No matter, whenever we feel within that life is good and return the gift of thanks, joy has entered into life.  

                                                                                         From Mere Morality by Lewis B. Smedes

     Related Bible Texts:  Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 4:7; Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:1

Verses for WEEK TWO on JOY

So just a quick note to give out the verses we shared on Wednesday. Ok, I don't know about anyone else, but for some reason I'm still feeling like this is such a HUGE concept to grasp...or to grasp well. In fact, over all the other concepts we have discussed so far this year, I feel as if, for this one, the more I try to comprehend/define/describe or even just sit and think about it, the less tangible or describable it becomes! It's like, how does one describe all of the sensations/thoughts/emotions that are elicited (or released!) when you suddenly...finally...find yourself on miles and miles of secluded shoreline, sinking your toes into the silkiest of sugar-sand beaches with the bluest of ocean waters lapping gently over your ankles, engulfed in the warmth of endless sunshine and surrounded by towering rugged cliffs...in Hawaii?  lol ok, I get it now...I guess it's not a feeling after all...it's an experience. 

So...what does it mean to "experience" JOY? How DOES one describe it?? (in fact, CAN it be "described"??) How do we encounter it? Maintain it? LIVE in/with/through it? These are just a few of the questions we will be delving into as we explore the concept of JOY.

To remind everyone for this week:

Remember to:

(1) WRITE down each of the verses in your journal. (If you feel that a certain passage is just way too long for you to copy, then just write down the specific phrases or words that the HolySpirit seems to be highlighting for you. But remember: you might actually "get more" from writing every verse down anyway!! We've already learned how often the HolySpirit brings to light new revelation through things we might otherwise dismiss as tedious or mundane...) Oh, and btw, if you are finding that "journalling" into files on your computer is easier for organization than writing by hand in your journal, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE type them out fully into your document rather than cutting and pasting from online sources!! Remember, we are trying to absorb as much of His words as deeply as we can through our eyes and hands into our brains and onto our hearts--no place for superficial stuff in this scripture study!!

(2) Prayerfully consider WHICH of these VERSES spoke into you this week and HOW? Circle or star the verse(s) in your journal and jot down why/how they spoke into you.

(3) Consider if your understanding of JOY has CHANGED...DEEPENED...been CLARIFIED and then answer the following questions in your journal:

  (a) How has this impacted my faith perspective and my ability to walk with more confidence in Christ through any or all circumstances?

  (b) How and where in my life might the HolySpirt be asking me to journey into deeper trust in God?

Ok, ready for the verses? Here we go:

1 Peter 1:8-9

Hebrews 12:2

Phil 1:1-3

Phil 4:6-7

James 1:2-3

Psalm 30:5

Romans 15:13

Psalm 94:19

Psalm 149:4

Psalm 118:24

oh--and I'm adding another set of verses: Galatians 5:22-24

Ok, so I cheated a bit and just copied and pasted my email to everyone here as a post.  Figured it would be the easiest way to get the verses out to everyone in a place everyone can find them again.  Remember to feel free to add more verses to these as well so we can all reconsider and share our thoughts next week.  Stay warm and safe through the storm!!

love

maggie

Hope

Hope is trusting in the Word of God.
Hope is knowing that God doesn't lie.
Hope is centered not in man but on God.

During our discussion two things stood out for me. 1) Maggie talked about something we all do. WORRY! Especially about our children, our families. I admit that I worry about my adult children. I worry about my grandchildren. I am a champion worrier! I believe in God and in God's word and God's promises. Yet I worry. Why? I am human! I waste time worrying. Yet I know it doesn't help!
2) Eileen gave us an incredible pearl! She said worrying is a temptation! Wow! That was a wake up call for me! Never thought of worry as a temptation. But I now understand that it is a temptation. Thank you Eileen! Knowing this for me is a revelation, an oh my moment. It gives me way to pull away from worry! A way to deal with it.
I think of the Act of Contrition. In it I promise God to avoid the near occasion of sin. My worrying is a sin. I am not trusting in God. I am giving in to a temptation.
I know that worrying will not help. All the energy I use worrying is a waste of time.
I know the Jesus Christ is our hope.
Never thought of worry as a sin but it is. It turns me away from God.  I now know what to do instead. Turn to the multiple verses in the Bible on Hope.