Happiness or Joy - What's the Difference

Happiness or Joy-What is the Difference?

The first difference is that Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Happiness is usually the result of some external circumstance. In other words, it’s a biproduct of some event. If I receive the Teacher of the Year Award, I’m likely to be happy about it, but in reality, it will soon be forgotten. If I receive a gift that I’ve always wanted, then I’m feel happy, but the feeling won’t last long. When a student receives good grades or wins a trophy it is a moment of happiness. Even Christmas, a season of joy, is only a fleeting happiness if the season was mainly invested in things that give pleasure.

Most people perceive these two words as synonymous. But if joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, is it also a passing happiness? No, joy is something internal whereas happiness is external and passing. Joy is selfless. When you are happy that someone else won first prize, was praised, did better than yourself, received the attention, praise you thought should be yours, then you experience true joy.  When good things happen, we may feel happy. It is just a feeling. Joy has more to do with the inner nature of our character. John’s Gospel (15:11) quotes Jesus who said,” I have told you this so that MY JOY may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  It’s not about you or your feelings but about the good of others. It’s when you feel a joy that has nothing to do with personal gain.

Happiness can be from a good that is outside of ourselves or even perversely, for misfortune falling on someone we dislike. Some people manipulate the truth and set others up to take the blame for something for which they are innocent. Then they are quite pleased when their cruelty works. Sometimes, stealing the credit for work they didn’t do gives momentary happiness but, this is not true happiness or joy. It is sinful.

Joy increases when the self-decreases. Many saints lived by the axiom, “He (Christ) must increase, and I must decrease. The more we increase in the love and imitation of Christ and put ourselves in the last place, the more our joy will increase. That sounds so counter intuitive. Every gift of the Holy Spirit is given to us for our benefit, but of what use is a gift that has not been opened, fostered, nurtured or used? Joy is not about being jolly, it is about having a peaceful, calm spirit. That peace comes from centering your life in Christ and the sacraments.  It takes a concentrated effort. It’s about treating everyone with the respect and dignity Christ showed toward the most despised in his society. He always showed them the Father’s love and offered them an opportunity to also be one with the Father.

This holiday season let us focus on being a person of joy, a calm person. People are attracted to that interior serenity and want to know how to obtain it. Be an apostle of Joy. One who takes the time to spread a little cheer by the respect and concern we lavish on a stranger. Let us spend a little more time in prayer asking for an increase in JOY! Stuff will get done or it won’t, but people are more important than things.