“Rejoice in the Lord evermore, and again I say, Rejoice”
(1 Thessalonians
5:16; Philippians 4:4).
It is, unfortunately, not an
uncommon phenomenon for us to see pious Faithful in whose faces joy, good
cheer, and the light of Grace do not blossom forth.
There are many excuses for this:
family troubles, difficulties at work, various mishaps, economic misfortunes,
health problems, unpleasant developments in national and political life, etc.
Can it be that all of these
things constitute substantial obstacles, such that a Christian is thereby
deprived of the peace of the Holy Spirit and the Grace of Christ?
Certainly not; for, the joy of
the pious Faithful derives not from the absence of life’s tribulations and
afflictions, but from the presence of our Savior in their hearts.
When a Christian has a humble
attitude and laments for his sins; when his pursuit is “always that which is
good, both among yourselves, and to all men”; [1] when he strives to keep God’s
commandments; when he continually partakes of the Spotless Mysteries; when he
unceasingly reflects with gratitude on the love of God—then, he is alive in the
Lord and has the Giver of joy and peace in his heart.
The believer who is God-Bearing
and Christ-Bearing “rejoices evermore,” [2] and his presence in the world is a
testimony to the Resurrection and to Pentecost; it is a revelation of the
Kingdom of Heaven and the bliss of the Age to come, of which he already has a
foretaste.
To those who would object that it
is impossible for one to rejoice at all times, St. Basil the Great wrote a
marvellous homily, entitled, “Concerning Thanksgiving,” [3] in which he
confronts those who dare “to accuse St. Paul of laying down things that are
impossible for us.”
The blessed joy of Christians is
the indicator of their spiritual condition: a lack of joy—and indeed, of
unceasing joy—betokens a deficiency in communion with Christ, and also with our
brother.
It is especially when there is no
love for our neighbor in our hearts, when we malign and hurt him, when we
belittle and despise him, and when we cause him distress and upset, that the
Lord is missing from our hearts and we have no communion with Him.
The Apostle Paul urges us to
“follow that which is good,” [4] by which he means: “Be intensely and
exceedingly eager to do good to each other, that is, to your Christian
fellow-believers and to all; that is, [even] to the unbelieving and the
godless.’’ [5]
The opposite—that is, arrogance
and vengeance, coldness and apathy, hatred for our brother and
ruthlessness—will make us to resemble the bee, as St. John Chrysostomos
strikingly notes:
“Do you not see how the bee dies
as soon as it has injured someone with its sting? By that animal, God instructs
us not to grieve our neighbors, because itis we who thereby first greet death.
For, in striking at them, we may perhaps pain them temporarily; but we
ourselves shall not live any longer, just as this animal does not.’’ [6]
The most blessed Theotokos
is the “joy of all generations,’’ [7] and in the Parakleseis (Services
of Supplication) to her, we chant the very beautiful hymn:
“Fill my heart with joy, O
Virgin, who didst receive the fullness of joy and didst cause the sorrow of sin
to disappear.’’ [8]
Let us repeat this joyful Troparion
frequently and sincerely, praying to our All-Holy Mother that she count us
worthy to rejoice in the Lord evermore, in the joy of the Resurrection
and the Kingdom. Amen!
Notes
1. 1
Thessalonians 5:15.
2. 1
Thessalonians 5:16.
3. Patrologia
Graeca, Vol. XXXI, cols. 217-237.
4. 1
Thessalonians 5:15.
5. St.
Nicodemos the Hagiorite, Interpretation of the Epistles [in Greek], Vol.
Ill, p. 85.
6. Patrologia
Graeca, Vol. LXII, col. 457 (“On I Thessalonians,’’ Homily 10).
7.
Salutations, Oikos 10.
8. Small Paraklesis,
Ode 9.
Greek
source: 'Άγιος Κυπριανός, No. 285 (July-August 1998), pp. 81-82.
English
translation: Orthodox Tradition, Vol. XVI (1999), Nos. 3-4, pp. 4-5.
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