I have watched, over the last few weeks, the rise of Joy in the public square. It has been refreshing to see young men happy and celebrative after winning the gold medal in the Winter Olympics. It made me think of the many times I have been part of that pure joy in my own life. Whenever I have experienced this profound Joy, I have witnessed the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. It is when the spirit of God becomes present to us in a deep and abiding way.

With all the challenges, upsets, and uncertainty we have in our global culture, our society seems to be lacking in Joy. What is joy, for me it is when our physical world and heaven collide. For whatever reason, it takes us out of time. Time that can hold us into the ever unfolding of the dimensional world. We all come with lists of to-dos, the doctor’s appointment, and the paper that must be handed in at school. I am sure you get the picture. Yes, we live in time, and as you are aware, time only goes forward. St. Augustine, some 1700 years ago, said it best. The past is but a memory. The future is hope, but it has not come. We only have the present. It is in the present that we first experience JOY.

I think in my own life, when I was holding my newborn child in the delivery room. It was a momentous, one-of-a-kind event. I was not only awe-struck, but for a moment, time had stopped, heaven had descended, and a new soul in a tiny body was given to me. My graduation from my college was another kind of joy which I thought would never come, but at that moment when they gave me my degree, pure joy. The wedding day, fraught with a million details and anxieties, happened, and as I walked down the aisle with my new husband, a silent joy of peace and hope. My father was in the military and often away from the family for long periods. When he came through the door, there was a joy of family unity. Surprisingly, my little dog, when I first got her as a puppy, those little trusting eyes gave me a private joy that I was loved by this little ball of fluff. Joy can be found in a religious event, when my children were baptized, or in standing in the receiving line on their wedding day, a satisfaction that joy can bring. These large and small events that bring us joy really have no measure; they are gifts. But the joy of the moment is that immediate lift of the soul when we participate in the joy of heaven. Perhaps this is because for a brief time, heaven comes to earth as God’s peace.

I am sure you have your own set of memories of Joy in your life. But that first time heaven and earth bless us with that unique presence, others participate and feel its splendor as well. Community Joy is seen and felt on a large scale. Perhaps you have seen films or videos of the joy and celebrations in various places, as the word spread that the war in Europe had ended, that Hitler had been defeated, and that civilization had been spared. Victory in a just cause can bring joy on the community level.

There are many joyful experiences in the Old Testament, such as David dancing with abandon when the Ark of the Covenant was returned after being captured by the Philistines. David was so happy to have it back in Jewish possession that he danced t before it, with sheer joy. Another example of joy is found in the story of the Prodigal Son. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a mix of joy and the forgiveness given to the son, no questions asked. He sees his son coming from a distance, and for a moment, time stops, and the present is vivid in the father’s joy. As he tells his other son, who is indignant that his father not only forgave his brother for his escapade but also greeted him with a kiss and a party. “Then the father* said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”‘ (Luke 15:31-32). Or Mary at the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday. She becomes the first witness to the Resurrected Christ. Jesus calls her name, and when she turns to see who is calling her, there is a rush of Joy. She goes to hold Jesus. Is this not a very human reaction to someone loved very deeply? Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'” (John 20: 16-17). Joy is not only on Mary’s part, but Jesus is also in a state of joy. He has completed his earthly life, and a new covenant has been formed for all mankind.

In the coming weeks, find joy in your own life. Realize that this joy is a gift. It comes from heaven and tells us we are loved, and for a moment, the Holy Spirit is with us in our earthly life.

” Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”(Psalm 47:1)