Heavenly Joy

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.

May the blessing of the Father who calls us, and His Only Begotten Son who saves us, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all, that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.

Introduction

“Rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:20

My dear beloved,

The Gospel is a story of joy. It begins with joy at the Nativity, when the angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10). It continues with joy at the Resurrection: “The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20). And it is completed with joy after the Ascension, when they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52).

This is why Saint Paul gives us three things to do at all times: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Today the Church commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Timon the Apostle. The Synaxarium tells us that he was one of the Seventy whom the Lord chose. So when we read today’s Gospel, we are reading about his own calling. Later, he was also chosen as one of the seven deacons, serving beside Saint Stephen (Acts 6:5).

In today’s Gospel the Seventy come back rejoicing, and our Lord teaches them where true joy is found. Let us look at three heavenly gifts that He gives to His servants.

1. A Heavenly Call

Saint Luke says, “The Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two” (Luke 10:1). They did not appoint themselves. The Lord called them, and the Lord sent them.

Saint Timon received this call more than once. The Lord sent him out with the Seventy. Then the Church chose him to serve tables. He had received gifts of healing and of casting out demons, yet he accepted a humble service. For him, no service was too small, because the One who calls is great.

Every one of us is called too: at home, at work, and in the Church. You may think that your service is small. But no service is small when God is the One who calls.

2. A Heavenly Work

Our Lord says, “I send you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). Then He tells them to carry no money bag and no knapsack. Their strength is not in what they carry. Their strength is in the One who sends them.

Their message is simple: “Peace to this house,” and “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:5, 9). This became the work of Saint Timon’s whole life. The Synaxarium tells us that he was made a bishop, preached Christ, and baptized many Greeks and Jews. And he served alongside Saint Stephen, the wise servant and able teacher, whose wisdom his opponents “were not able to resist” (Acts 6:10).

We do this same work today whenever we bring peace into a home, speak of Christ, and help someone come back to God. And there is joy in this work. There is joy in heaven over the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son (Luke 15).

3. A Heavenly Joy

The Seventy return and say, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name” (Luke 10:17). Our Lord does not deny it. But He moves their joy to something deeper: “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

The Holy Scripture shows us many joys: the joy of fellowship, as Saint Paul had in Philemon (Philemon 7); the joy of receiving Christ, as Zacchaeus “received Him joyfully” (Luke 19:6); and the joy of giving, as Saint Paul rejoiced in the love of the Philippians (Philippians 4:10). All of these are good gifts. But the deepest joy is this: God knows you, and your name is written with Him.

This joy cannot be taken away. Saint Stephen, facing death, said, “I see the heavens opened” (Acts 7:56). Saint Timon was tortured and burned, and he received the crown of martyrdom. The world took everything from them, but it could not erase their names from heaven.

Let me tell you a story from our own desert fathers. It is written in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers:

“It was revealed to Abba Anthony in his desert that there was one who was his equal in the city. He was a doctor by profession and whatever he had beyond his needs he gave to the poor, and every day he sang the Sanctus with the angels.”

Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Anthony 24

Think about that, my beloved. Saint Anthony was the father of monks, known throughout Egypt. The doctor went to work, gave to those in need, and praised God. The people of his city may have seen only a doctor, but heaven knew his name. Our Lord may not put your name in the headlines, but He has a better place to write it.

Conclusion

My beloved, Saint Timon was called by the Lord, he did the work of the Lord, and today he rejoices with the Lord. The same God has called you and given you work to do. Some days your service may feel tiring, and no one may notice it. But God sees it, and He knows your name.

So do not build your joy on success, on praise, or on what people say about you. Build it on what God has written.

Rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

O Lord Jesus Christ, You who called the Seventy and sent them before Your face, call us and send us too. Give us the humble heart of Saint Timon, the courage of Saint Stephen, and the hidden love of those who serve You in secret. Let our joy be in You, and keep our names written in heaven. Amen.

May the Lord bless us and transform us — that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands may serve in the harvest, and our hearts may long for Heaven. Through the intercession of our Lady, the Theotokos Saint Mary, and the prayers of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew. Glory be to God forever. Amen.

Prepared and presented by Hegumen Fr. Andrew Awad, D.Min.