The Absence of Happiness and The Presence of Unending Joy. By :C.C.

"These things I have Spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)
  
                             
"Joy suggests a more complete, ecstatic, consuming passion than mere happiness. In short, “happiness” can be described as an emotion, while “joy” is more properly related to a state of one’s being. By definition, happiness is a response to happenstance, contentment, good luck, prosperity, or good fortune.(Catholic Exchange)

    Our joy is limited because our gaze is set upon our desire for the fleeting reality of happiness. By keeping our eyes upon the visible and not entrusting ourselves entirely to Him who has made all that is visible and invisible,we can not attain a true sense of joy in our lives. To be joyful is to go beyond what is mere 'happenstance' and toward the Source of our true joy found in God alone. 

  It is a journey past emotions and things tangible. It is a calling outside of what can be merited and all that can be pursued. To find joy begins with acknowledging that we have first been pursued by an all loving God who has 'Spoken to us' ,that His joy may be within us so that we may experience fulfillment in this life'. In order that our joy may be full we must first become empty and make ourselves humble before God. Our Lord's commands to us are designed for the purpose of our joy. If our gaze is limited to the things of this world and our perception of joy rooted in our emotions, then we keep ourselves away from knowing true joy in this life. When we dismiss the path of virtue as one of destruction and embrace the inauthentic sensory pursuit of happiness we deny ourselves the genuine experience of joy as God wills for us.

  Even our moments of suffering and perceived trials are opportunities to affirm the presence of true joy. 'The state of one's being' can be inclined toward joy by seeking to remain rooted in our Lord. The enduring presence of joy in our life depends upon the endurance of our hope, our trust, and our love of God in all things. As our faith teaches us, “... true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or any human achievement…or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love.” In other words, temporal happiness is not enough to satisfy us; we long for the “joy of the Lord” (CCC 1720). Recognizing that God is our Creator and that we rely totally on Him is a “source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence” (CCC 301).