Joy is among the most positive and desirable of emotions. Webster's defines it as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying." In this definition, joy is even better than happiness. It is great, exceptional happiness.

In today's Gospel reading Jesus tells us that he wants us to experience joy. "I have told you this," Jesus says, "so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete."

Let's think about this for a minute. Jesus says that he wants us to have joy like his, inside us. And he wants it to be complete. In other words, Jesus not only wants us to experience joy, he wants us to experience God's joy, completely.

In the wider context of this passage, the joy that Jesus is talking about is a product of God's love. "As the Father loves me, so I also love you," Jesus says. "Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love."

Jesus is connected to the Father in a relationship of joyful love. He offers and calls us to the same relationship --- to remain in his love and to experience his joy. You would think that this would be an offer that we would find hard to refuse. Who could turn down complete, divine happiness? Jesus tells us that this is what he wants for us, and he tells us that it is available, now.

And yet, if you're like me, you struggle to experience this joy. In fact, I struggle to experience any kind of happiness at all. I am so easily distracted by what is going wrong in the world and in my life. When nothing is going wrong, I tend to worry about what might go wrong.

It strikes me as I write this that Jesus never really tells us to worry about anything. He never says, "Disaster is coming just around the corner," or "Don't get too comfortable because something bad might happen." Jesus constantly calls us to shed our anxiety and to enjoy his unconditional love. Today's Gospel is one of those moments. We are offered an immensely attractive proposition --- complete, divine joy.

Most of us would probably settle for happiness --- a good feeling that is contingent on positive circumstances. Jesus offers us something better --- an exceptional happiness that exists independent of positive circumstances. Happiness might be present when all is well. Joy will be present even when all is not well.

We need the joy that Jesus promises more than ever. We are living in a time when circumstantial happiness is hard to come by. Our economy is in turmoil. A global epidemic is at our border. Many of us have lost jobs, homes and savings. Jesus offers us a complete joy that transcends negative events and situations. It is connected to the love of God that is greater than any hardship we might face.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa. He may be reached at bptidings@yahoo.com.