Opening Game
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?
Scripture Reading
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.”
Discussion
Imagine the scene in this gospel. Jesus is sitting at the table with his closest friends during the Last Supper. He has just washed their feet, showing them what it means to serve with humility and love. But he knows what is about to happen. He knows soldiers will come to arrest him. He knows powerful people are plotting to kill him. He knows that the friends sitting with him will soon scatter in fear and leave him alone. This is a very heavy moment. And yet, in the middle of all of this, Jesus speaks about joy. That may sound strange, but it is very important for us to understand.
Jesus tells his disciples, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Notice that he doesn’t say happiness. Happiness is about feelings. You feel happy when things go your way, when you succeed, or when life is comfortable. But happiness comes and goes. Jesus knew what was coming, and he was not happy about it. He was not smiling as he thought about the cross. He was not cheerful about the idea of betrayal and suffering. But he still had joy, and that is different.
Joy is something much deeper than happiness. Joy comes from God. It is the peace and strength that flow from knowing we are loved by the Father no matter what happens. Jesus had joy because he trusted his Father completely. Even though he knew pain was ahead, he also knew that God’s love would never leave him. He believed that the Father would bring good even from the worst suffering. That confidence gave him a joy that could not be stolen, not by soldiers, not by betrayal, and not even by death itself.
Think about your own life. There are times when you feel happy—like when you win a game, spend time with friends, or get a good grade. But there are also times when you feel the opposite—when you lose something important, fight with a friend, or face a disappointment. Happiness doesn’t last in those moments. But joy can still be present. Maybe you have experienced peace even while you were sad, because you knew God was with you. Maybe you had hope even in a dark time, because you trusted that God still had a plan. That is what joy looks like.
Joy is like an anchor that holds you steady even when the storm is strong. It doesn’t remove the storm. It doesn’t erase the pain. But it reminds you that you are not alone, that you are held in God’s love, and that He will carry you through. That is why Jesus wants us to remain in his love. He knows that when we do, his joy will live in us. It’s not a shallow feeling. It’s a way of living and thinking that is rooted in trust.
So let’s think together. Have there been times in your life when you were not happy, but you still felt a quiet joy? Maybe you were scared, but you knew you were loved. Maybe things were hard, but you still found strength in prayer. These moments help us understand the difference between happiness and joy.
The challenge is to foster this kind of joy in our daily lives. One way is through gratitude. When we pause to thank God, even when life is hard, our hearts open to joy. Another way is by remembering Jesus’ command to love one another. When we put others first, when we serve, when we forgive, joy grows in us. Joy is also strengthened by prayer. Asking the Holy Spirit for peace in difficult times can help us see that God is near.
Jesus wanted his disciples to understand this before he went to the cross. He wanted them, and us, to know that joy is not destroyed by suffering. It is rooted in God’s unchanging love. If we remain close to him, then no matter what happens, that joy will remain in us. And that joy will be complete.
Small Group Reflection Questions
When you move into small group time, remind everyone that this is a chance to share openly and listen to one another with respect. Let the youth know that there are no wrong answers. Encourage them to speak from their own experience, and remind the group that what is shared should stay in the group. Allow space for silence so that those who need more time can think before answering. Your role as a leader is to guide gently, not to give all the answers.
- What do you think Jesus means when he says he wants his joy to be in us?
- Can you think of a time when you felt joy even though you were not happy? What was that like?
- How do you see the difference between joy and happiness in your own life?
- Why do you think Jesus connects joy with loving one another?
- What are some ways we can remain in God’s love when life is difficult?
- How might gratitude help you find joy during times of disappointment?
- What is one small step you can take this week to live with more joy in Jesus?
Challenge
One way to grow in joy is to practice gratitude, even when life doesn’t go the way you want. It’s easy to thank God when everything feels good, but joy becomes real when you can thank Him during the hard times too. So this week, whenever something disappoints you or doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, stop for a moment. Think of one good thing in your life, no matter how small, and thank God for it. It could be your family, your friends, or even just the gift of a new day. Then ask Jesus to stay close to you in that difficult moment.
Remember that joy is not something we create by ourselves. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and it grows in us when we invite God to work in our hearts. If you find it hard to be grateful, take a few quiet minutes to reflect on how much God loves you. Let that thought sink in. You are His beloved son or daughter, and nothing can take that away. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with peace and joy, even in times of struggle. Trust that God will give you the strength to face what comes, and joy will begin to take root in your life.
Find a resource for praying with gratitude every day here.
Prayer
Let’s take a moment to quiet our hearts and pray together. Close your eyes if you’d like, and take a deep breath. Remember that God is here with us, and that He loves us more than we can imagine.
Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us what true joy looks like. Thank You for reminding us that Your joy is not the same as happiness that comes and goes. Help us to remain in Your love, even when life is difficult.
Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with peace and joy. Teach us to be grateful each day, especially when things do not turn out the way we hoped. Give us the courage to love one another the way Jesus loves us.
Father, we ask You to walk with us this week. Guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions, so that we can share Your joy with others. May our lives bring hope and light to those around us.
Amen.
More Resources
See https://young-catholics.com/8561/living-love-lesson-plan-on-joy for more resources.