Good morning, good people. May the Risen Lord give you peace and happiness in the Holy Spirit.

It is 02nd May 2024. We reflect on Acts 15:7-21 and John 15:9-11. 

Joy comes from the Spirit of God.

There is a vast difference between happiness and joy.  

Happiness comes from our own efforts and endeavors in succeeding or obtaining something we longed for while joy comes from the Spirit of God for having worked for Christ and the mystical body of Christ, the Church. Happiness can be adulterated by the effect of a particular result. On the contrary, joy gets destroyed only by our sin.  

Joy comes by loving while happiness is what we experience in achieving something for ourselves. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit of God and the direct outcome of having professed our faith in Jesus.  

No one must be outside and excluded from the light of Christ. 

In the first reading, we experience the graceful moment for the church to allow everyone to experience the love of God and joy of the risen Lord Jesus.  

The first Council of Jerusalem opened the doors of salvation to all people without circumcision.  The leaders invited the brethren to have concessions for others to experience the conversion required for salvation.  

The Church right from the beginning wanted no one to be outside and excluded from the light of Christ and the clouds of blessings by allowing everyone to experience the love of God. The apostles desired that everyone could experience the power of the Holy Spirit when they confess their faith in Jesus.  

Personal prayer and profound spiritual experiences of Saints Peter, Paul, and James added richness in allowing everyone to taste the savor of the Lord. 

The joy of Christ is given to those who follow the law of love.  

The Gospel assures that our love for one another founded on faith in Jesus brings complete joy. Authentic and genuine love offers joy.  Loving the other person is not a challenge for the one who has experienced the love of God.  

Love is a personal choice we all make in relationships. Without remaining in the love of Christ, no one can experience the promised joy of Christ.  “My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn.15:11).  The joy of Christ is given to those who follow the law of love.  

Let us not be satisfied with the happiness of this world but rather to aspire for the joy of Christ by obeying the commands of the Lord and loving the other unconditionally like Jesus.  

May you have a good day.  

God bless you.

 

Fr. Peter Fernando, OFMCap.
Director, Office of Family Ministry, Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (AVOSA).Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.♣Website:https://reflectionsofpeter.org/.♣Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/samarpet