(Continuation. Beginning at the end of Part II)
Christianity is the Eucharist, it is the Kingdom of God, it is Thanksgiving, it is Joy; therefore, it is impossible to be a Christian and not rejoice (= give thanks). Joy = Thanksgiving (Eucharist)! Joy and Thanksgiving are two facets of the same reality-state; they are unthinkable without each other: there is no thanksgiving without joy or joy without thanksgiving. If it is not so, then it is not true joy, nor genuine thanksgiving.
Christianity begins with joy – with the Gospel, with the Good News about Jesus Christ, with a love-need for the Lord Jesus Christ. There are two cases of the beginning of this joy: 1) a person “accidentally,” without seeking the Pearl-Treasure (= Kingdom of God, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ), stumbles upon It (e.g., St. Anthony of Sourozh, the Apostle Paul – both intended to end Christianity (one (Anthony) – in his personal life, for himself; the other (Paul) – tried to destroy the “Nazarene heresy” for the whole nation), about which they heard and formed a false impression-prejudice about (about Christ and His Church) – and they encountered Christ, the Precious Pearl-Treasure); 2) or a person, zealously seeking It (Truth, God, the meaning of life, etc.), eventually finds the desired (more precisely, God reveals Himself to the one (finds the one) who seeks Him). The Lord speaks about these two cases in parables, in which He gives the catechumens some understanding of the Kingdom of God, the conditions for accepting It, and the spiritual laws that operate on this path to entering the Eucharist (the Kingdom of God). “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matt. 13:44-45; see also Part III, note 70). In both cases, these lucky ones (blessed ones) go with joy and sell all that they have (becoming “poor in spirit,” “like children,” to whom the Kingdom of God belongs; it is impossible for the rich (“of their own,” “selfish”) to enter the Kingdom of God), and “buy” this Treasure-Pearl – Christ (= we completely give ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist, just as Christ gave Himself to us). When a person finds the Treasure (tastes and knows, as much as it is possible for the catechumen, how Good the Lord is, and not just hears about the Treasure – about Jesus Christ) – here begins Christianity, the entry into the school of catechumens, marked by joy (“I bring you good news of great joy!” (Luke 2:10)). And further, the person – in joy, with joy – acts with a decisive intention to “sell all” that they possess (knowing, being taught by the Church, that it is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God – the Kingdom of Love and Humility, the Kingdom of “poor in spirit,” those who have nothing of their own, and what they are and what they have, is a Gift of Love from Others…), to impoverish themselves of everything they have (to cast out all idols – selfishness-pride and all its offspring), to empty themselves of everything of their own (to free up “space” within to receive all of God), to be able to, with a contrite spirit and humble and thankful heart, receive-accept the Gift-Pearl of Christ, to enter into possession of the inheritance of the Heavenly Father, that is, to enter into the full Joy, the Joy of the Blessed Divine Hypostatic Life of the Most Holy Trinity!!! Christianity begins with joy (followed by catechism…), which grows (!) to the fullness of Joy – knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Christianity is a continuous growth of Joy (“Rejoice always! Give thanks in everything!” “Rejoice! And again I say, rejoice!”).
If we are catechumens, then before doing anything (i.e., any good deed – for salvation, for Christ; and the catechumen is already a slave of Christ, and tries to do everything for the Lord Jesus, to whom he voluntarily gave himself into slavery) we must feel joy, enter into joy, rejoice!!! Whoever has found the Pearl goes with joy and sells all that he has (empties himself of everything he has and is, as unnecessary, as filth (skubalon – see Part II) – this is the path of following the Lord, the path of kenosis, self-emptying, self-crucifixion, and all the feats on this path are performed in joy!!!), and buys with poverty-humility the Kingdom of God, replaces old wineskins with new ones, to contain and preserve the New Wine – the Grace of the Holy Spirit. All feats the catechumen performs in joy! Where there is no joy, there is misunderstanding, delusion, there is no Orthodox faith-trust (and everything we do without faith-trust is sin, which harms us, and does not lead to healing-salvation), that the Kingdom of God has come, that Christ is Risen and has given us His Body, the Eucharist, Himself! (For example, fasting as a feat for the Lord Jesus Christ in a state of sadness, without joy – absurd! The deed (= fulfillment of the commandment of God, the will of God) that is done for Christ (the Kingdom of God) with sadness, without joy, is absurd, misunderstanding, delusion, pagan, magical religious bargaining!).