“Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” I paid attention to this quote long ago. Actually it seems more natural to share somenody’s grief, to feel sympathy, to even sacrifice our time & nerves to try to comfort the person in grief. But it’s much more difficult to share the joy…I heard some public proverb long ago: “a grief shared by the two is devided by two, but the joy shared by the two is twice a joy”. It is really so. But to share the joy of another person is not so simple for our corrupted nature. I think somewhere deep in our soul, when we reveal our attitude to somebody else, some corrupted feelings raise their heads like hydras. And these feelings are the revelation of our secret, hidden passions. For example, when we share somebody’s sorrow, we may feel somehow higher than the other person, feel that he made a mistake that we have not made (yet! – this is what we forget), commited a sin (that we have not commited (also – yet, though we are almost sure we will definitely not do anything of the kind, never!). Besides, we may look so noble, generous in our own eyes doing something good & spending our time with this misfortunate person (worthwhile entering it on the credit side of our good deeds!). But anyway to feel sympathy, to pray for the person in sorrow is also (and in majority of cases I beleive it is so) is quite natural for us, for our soul which is a Christian by nature, as Tertullian said so many centuries ago! It’s more natural for her then to respond on sorrow, unhappiness, pain…But to rejoice requires much more. For this we should love our neighbour like ourselves, or be close to it at least. Here we should get rid of envy which pursue us everywhere. Especially it’s a heroism to share somebody’s joy when we are in a tight corner, when our situation is far from any seeming joy. To be able to rejoice we should practically feel other people like our closest relatives, dear friends (who remain close & dear even if they are more successful & lucky than we are!). This precious capability is a manifestation of a pure soul, of great spiritual work, of a person’s victory over his shabby person, a glorious flourishing of a new, renewd inner person. A touch of the Saint Spirit to his heart….Just to remain indifferent, without envy, without letting in the thought that this person is unworthy of this happiness, that I am so good & kind but God gave all this to this one, not to me..even this is a step forward, and a consiredable one, I think. And rejoicing – it’s something like God’s gift to a person, the one who purifies his heart, who is capable of forgiving, who seeks not what is his, but what is of God.
In the Gospel there is an episode where Christ tells His disciples: “I am glad for you”. Our Lord has come to share our sorrows & our happiness. We should follow His steps if we want to save our soul. I realise it’s the only way for me, but it’s so difficult, as it seems at times like the labour of Sisyphus. But God does not teach us anything fruitless or fantastic. If I keep trying, I know I’ll win, as He takes care of me.