1. Saved for Joy The Paschal Mystery Unit 3, Chapter 8
Notes: This presentation briefly examines, through quotes from the Gospel of John, C. S. Lewis, and Pope Francis, the concept of joy, as introduced in chapter 8, article 30, of the student book. What is this “joy” we are saved for? What does it lead us to do?
The Paschal Mystery
Unit 3, Chapter 8
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2. Jesus Promised Joy
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (John 16:20,22)
Notes: Ask students for examples (Adam and Eve, Noah, Tower of Babel).

3. Joy Points Beyond Itself
“Joy itself, considered simply as an event in my own mind, turned out to be of no value at all. All the value lay in that of which Joy was the desiring. And that object, quite clearly, was no state of my own mind or body at all.” (C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, p. 220)
Notes: Lewis recounts his journey to rediscover joy throughout his life, which he had experienced first as a child in the form of a sharp longing, a desire, for something he couldn’t quite describe. As an adult, when he gradually (and begrudgingly) began to believe in God, he saw that joy is not the goal. Joy is that sharp longing, and when we experience it we know that it is pointing us toward the thing outside us that causes the desire—toward God, who alone can fulfill it.

4. We Are Set Free
“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 1)
Notes: Point out that Lewis and Pope Francis speak of joy in slightly different terms. While Lewis describes it primarily as a desire for something more, as pointing outside oneself to something greater that we long to be united with, the pope speaks directly of the joy that comes from knowing Christ.

5. Joy Is for Everyone
“The joy of the Gospel is for all people: no one can be excluded” (Evangelii Gaudium, 23).

6. The Joy of Faith
“Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved Slowly but surely we all have to let the joy of faith slowly revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 6)
Notes: This quote can help students distinguish joy from happiness (e.g., it is not simply an emotion). Experiencing grief, frustration, anger, or other “negative” emotions does not prevent us from also feeling joy; from still resting assured in God’s love for us.

7. The Joy of Christ’s Love
“No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by [Christ’s] boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.” (Evangelii Gaudium, 3)
Notes: We are human beings; we repeatedly turn away from God. Yet Christ is always waiting and always asking to be allowed back into our hearts. We can never “run out of chances” or be too lost for Christ to pick us up and remind us who we are.
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8. The Joy of God
“The good news is the joy of the Father who desires that none of his little ones be lost, the joy of the Good Shepherd who finds the lost sheep and brings it back to the flock” (Evangelii Gaudium, 237).

9. Joy Pushes Us Outward
“[The Church’s] joy in communicating Jesus Christ is expressed both by a concern to preach him to areas in greater need and in constantly going forth to the outskirts of its own territory or towards new sociocultural settings” (Evangelii Gaudium, 30).
Notes: The joy that comes from being saved by Jesus and his life, death, and Resurrection is not just for us to hold onto and enjoy. It compels us to share the joy of the good news with others, with those who need it most.

10. A Missionary Joy
“The Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy This joy is a sign that the Gospel has been proclaimed and is bearing fruit. Yet the drive to go forth and give, to go out from ourselves, to keep pressing forward in our sowing of the good seed, remains ever present” (Evangelii Gaudium, 21).
Notes: Our mission is never done, and the joy of knowing Christ will never leave us!