For this lesson plan on joy, you will need a bag of candy and several bowls. Hide the candy around the room before the youth arrive.

Welcome. We are going to divide into groups of three and four. (If the group is small, you can just skip this and have them play as individuals.) I have hidden candy in this room. You will have 30 seconds to find as many pieces as you can. The team (or individual) who finds the most pieces wins.

Go!

After 30 seconds, gather everyone back together. Have each team put their candy in a separate bowl in front of each group and decide who won. Don't let them eat the candy.

• Did that game make you happy? Why?
• What are some other things which make you happy?

Now take all of the candy away from the losing teams and put it in the winning team's bowl.

• Is everyone still happy? Why or why not?

Finally take away all of the candy from the winning team.

• Now who is happy? Who is unhappy?
• How do disappointments and the unfairness of circumstances impact our happiness?

John 15:9-17 (No Greater Love) - the Gospel Reading for the 6th Sunday of Easter – Year B

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. 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.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

John 15:9-17

In this gospel, Jesus is talking about laying down his life. In fact, Jesus is saying this at the Last Supper, after washing the apostles' feet. He is aware that he is about to be arrested and that those in power will seek to kill him. This is why he talks about laying down his life.

But he also speaks of joy.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete.

• Do you think Jesus was happy, when he had a good idea what was coming next?
• How can Jesus have any joy when he knows such a trial awaits him?

Jesus was probably not feeling happiness at this moment. Perhaps even worse that the leaders plotting to kill him, he knew his best friends would abandon him. His disappointment was probably overwhelming.

But Jesus does not tell his disciples that he wants them to know his happiness. He says that he wants them to know his joy.

Joy is very different from happiness. It is a deep peace that comes from knowing that no matter what, we are God's beloved sons and daughters. Jesus trusted completely in his Father. And though he couldn't see exactly how it would work out, he knew that somehow he would not be separated from the love of the Father. That was the source of his joy. He trusted that somehow, in the end, the Father would make all things right.

So joy is very different from happiness. Happiness is a feeling which comes and goes according to what is going on in our life. Joy is a way of thinking and being. It is a state of mind.

• Think of some of the difficult times in your life. Have you ever found joy in those moments, even though you were unhappy?
• How might you foster an attitude of joy in your life?

Following the large group discussion, if time permits, break into small groups for further reflection on the lesson plan on joy.

• What does Jesus mean when He says, "love one another as I love you"? Can you think of a time when someone showed you this kind of love?
• Jesus talks about laying down one’s life for one’s friends. What are some ways we can "lay down our lives" for others in everyday life?
• How do you understand the difference between joy and happiness? Can you share an example from your own life where you felt joy even in a difficult situation?
• Why do you think Jesus emphasizes the command to love one another repeatedly in this passage?
• How can practicing gratitude help us feel joy? Share a personal experience where being grateful changed your perspective during a tough time.
• What are some actions you can take this week to show love to others in your community in the way Jesus taught us?
• Discuss how you can ask the Holy Spirit for help when you are struggling to find joy and peace in your life. What are some specific prayers or practices that might help?

One way to develop a sense of joy is to practice gratitude. But not just when you are happy. So this week, whenever something does not go the way you had hoped, take a few moments to think of something good in your life and thank God for it. Ask Jesus to be with you during what is difficult.

Remember that joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So if it isn't easy, spend a few minutes just thinking of how much God loves you. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring you a sense of peace and joy.

Find a resource for praying with gratitude every day here.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for teaching us about true love and the joy that comes from trusting in You. Help us to love one another as You have loved us, and to lay down our lives for our friends in acts of kindness and service. Fill our hearts with Your joy, and guide us to see Your hand in all things, especially during challenging times. May the Holy Spirit inspire us to live out Your commandments and bring peace and joy to those around us.

Amen.

Themes for the Lesson Plan on Joy

• The Nature of True Love - This lesson plan on joy helps youth understand Jesus' command to love one another as He has loved us, reflecting on self-sacrifice and genuine care for others.
• Difference Between Joy and Happiness - Teens explore how joy is a deeper, more enduring state than the fleeting emotion of happiness, rooted in a firm trust in God's love.
• The Role of Sacrifice in Love - In this lesson plan on joy, youth discuss how sacrificial love is central to Jesus' teachings and the Christian life, exemplified by Jesus laying down His life for His friends.
• Practicing Gratitude - The lesson plan on joy encourages daily gratitude as a way to cultivate joy, even in difficult circumstances.
• The Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Identifying joy as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and discussing how to foster this fruit in personal and community life is another theme of this lesson plan on joy.
• Active Love in Community - Teens learn to apply the commandment of loving one another through practical actions within the community, emphasizing social justice as an expression of Christian love.

Background Material for the Lesson Plan on Joy

In this lesson plan on joy, we focus on the teachings of Jesus about love and joy from the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verses 9-17. This passage is a part of Jesus’ farewell discourse given at the Last Supper, a critical time just before His crucifixion. Here, Jesus emphasizes the greatest form of love—laying down one's life for one's friends. He also distinguishes between the joy He offers and the ordinary happiness that the world pursues.

The Catholic Church teaches that true love involves a self-giving and sacrificial nature that seeks the good of the other. This type of love is vividly demonstrated by Jesus Himself, who sacrificed His life for humanity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that Jesus' death is the ultimate act of love (CCC 609). By following Jesus’ command to love one another, Christians are called to show this same selfless love in their daily lives.

By embracing in his human heart the Father's love for men, Jesus "loved them to the end", for "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." In suffering and death his humanity became the free and perfect instrument of his divine love which desires the salvation of men. Indeed, out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death: "No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." Hence the sovereign freedom of God's Son as he went out to his death.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 609

Joy, as discussed in this gospel passage, is more than a feeling of happiness. It is a lasting state that comes from a deep relationship with God. Despite knowing the suffering He would face, Jesus spoke of His joy being complete. He found joy in fulfilling His Father’s will and in His deep, trusting relationship with the Father. According to the Catechism, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1832), which indicates it is a result of living in accordance with God’s will.

Understanding the difference between joy and happiness is crucial. Happiness is often dependent on external circumstances and can be fleeting. Joy, on the other hand, is a stable and persistent sense of well-being that springs from an intimate connection with God and a life lived in His service. Pope Francis often speaks about joy in his teachings. He emphasizes that Christian joy is rooted in knowing one is loved by God and is called to share this love with others.

Gratitude is an important theme in fostering joy. Being thankful, even in challenging times, helps to focus on the blessings we have received from God, which maintains our connection to the source of true joy. This practice is essential for Christians, as it aligns our hearts with God’s providence and helps us to remain joyful regardless of our circumstances.

This lesson plan on joy aims to help young people understand these deep concepts in a simple and relatable way. By learning about Jesus’ teachings on love and joy, they can better understand how to live out their faith in everyday life. This understanding can also lead them to engage more fully in their communities, reflecting Jesus’ love through actions that promote justice and peace.

This lesson plan on joy focuses on the Christian understanding of joy and love as taught by Jesus and upheld by the Catholic Church. It encourages young people to live out these virtues in a practical way, contributing to their personal growth and their communities.

Music Suggestions for the Lesson Plan on Joy

• Joyful Noise
• Goodness of God
• Lay It Down
• You Are My Joy
• Trading My Sorrows

Add your own suggestions to the comments.

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