You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16: 11) St Mary and St Mina Coptic Orthodox Church of Syracuse 2015 Theme Presentation January 1, 2015
Everyone wants JOY!!! There is one thing everyone wants, which is to have joy to be happy God created us for joy and Christ came to restore to us the joy we lost
Man was created for Joy!..who formed us, created us and placed us in the paradise of joy (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil) The Big Question? What made the first paradise a paradise of joy? How have we lost this joy? you have filled all with joy, O Savior, when You came to help the world (Sixth hour prayers)
The Root cause of losing joy If God is the true source of joy, then isolation from God and from our fellow brothers and sisters is the root cause of our lost joy Joy is not the absence of sorrows, but it is the presence of God in all things. The feeling that we are alone in the midst of pain is the cause of the greatest sorrow. When the presence of God is not felt, even our greatest earthly happiness is unsatisfying.
The joy of knowing the Lord... Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).
Wrong impression People outside Christianity have the wrong impression that Christianity has no joy Sometimes we ourselves convey this image when we feel that everything in Christianity is a burden
Christianity as a revelation & proclamation of JOY When Christ was born, heaven rejoiced and the angels came to the shepherds and said Behold, I bring you good news of great JOY There is a natural attraction between God and the human soul. The slightest contemplation of the divine brings us pleasure. We are created in God s image
Christianity & joy St. Clement of Alexandria wrote, Our whole life is one festival. Persuaded that God is with us, we cultivate our fields praising, and we sail the seas singing. Another Father said Christianity has been the proclamation of joy, of the only possible joy on earth.
The resurrection & JOY The JOY of the resurrection is the fundamental characteristic of the Orthodox Christian worldview The resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith, and the solid foundation of our faith and rejoicing
The R.F.P. of JOY The R.F.P for JOY stands for: Repentance Forgiveness and acts of love Prayer and worship
R - Repentance and JOY Sin is equivalent to having no joy Through repentance, the joy of God s salvation is restored to us Restore unto me the joy of your salvation (Psalm 50) There is joy in heaven and on earth when we repent
F - Forgiveness and Forgiving 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? 22 Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a] 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 At this the servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. 27 The servant s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me! he demanded.
29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, Be patient with me, and I will pay it back. 30 But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
P - Prayer & worship Here are some sayings of the Church Fathers When we are beginners, prayer is like a fire of joy kindled in the heart If, while you are praying, you feel inwardly moved, a certain joy, at some word or other, then dwell on it longer. It is a sign that our angel is praying with us The saintly bishop Makarios and prayer
The Eucharist and JOY When the early Christians gathered for worship, it was for them a time of joy, and they experienced the living Lord We come to the church wounded and tired, earthly and sinful. We come thirsty and hungry. We return after being fed with the food of eternal life, and after tasting joy and peace in the Holy Spirit How do we end the liturgy prayers?
Trials and JOY Joy does not depend on outer circumstances. The following is a true story of a 70-year-old Romanian priest who was imprisoned for his faith during the communist years He was thrown in prison along with his family His son died in prison His daughter was sentenced to 20 years His sons in law were also put in jail His grand-children did not have anything to eat Yet, he was joyful
Secret of Joy One day, he was asked, How can you rejoice? He replied I fulfill the word from the Bible which says rejoice with all those who rejoice I sit in jail, and I rejoice that many are free I cannot go to church, but I rejoice will all those who can go I cannot take communion, but I rejoice for all thoise who can Here is a person who was full of love!!!
Sources of JOY A Hindu once asked a Christian What medicine do you put on your face to make it shine so? The Christian answered smiling, I do not put anything on my face, I just have Jesus in my heart. Through Jesus Our sins have been forgiven The burden of my guilt has been lifted Joy enters our hearts, and we have peace of mind
More reasons to rejoice Christ has made this earthly life an entry way that leads to heaven Our greatest joys here are but the first fruits and foretaste of eternal joy We rejoice because our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world We rejoice because Christ has given us victory over sin, suffering and death We rejoice because Christ loves us and has given us everything
Remember the RFP of JOY Repentance Daily, regularly and at landmarks of our lives Forgiveness and Forgiving We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Prayer and worship Prayer is the pathway of joy and the Divine Liturgy is our never-ending source of joy!!!