Joy burns in our hearts from His truth, love, resurrection, and from the Church and His saints. ( St. Justin Popovich )

Christians, always rejoice, for evil, death, sin, the devil and hell have been conquered by Christ. But when all of this is conquered, is there anyone in the world who can bring our joy to naught? You are the lord of this eternal rejoicing as long as you do not give in to sin. 

Joy burns in our hearts from His truth, love, resurrection, and from the Church and His saints. Joy burns in our hearts all because of sufferings for Him, mockings for Him, and death for Him, insofar as these sufferings write our names in heaven.

 

 There is no true joy on earth without the victory over death, but the victory over death does not exist without the Resurrection, and the Resurrection does not exist without Christ. The risen God-Man Christ, the founder of the Church, constantly pours out this joy into the hearts of His followers through the Holy Mysteries and good deeds.

 Our faith is fulfilled in this eternal joy, insofar as the joy of faith in Christ is the only true joy for human nature.

St. Justin Popovich

True Joy - Elder Joseph the Hesychast

 
Don’t expect to find joy and rest in anything that grieves your soul and upsets divine grace. Joy is a gift of God to our soul…

And if you dishonor it, it will not come back, unless you feel sorry and repent with much pain for every sin you committed. But what is the point of thoughtlessly chasing away the dove of grace, and then with regret and many sighs seeking it back again?

Many people have chased joy away by foolishly dishonoring it, and then it never came back.

Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Monastic Wisdom, Forty-ninth Letter, p. 23