What is true joy?

I love this explanation of true joy Brian McLaren shows us at the end of his book Finding Our Way Again. The chapter is titled: "Learning By (Broken) Heart," and he quotes St. Francis, who was poor, celibate, and had an ailing body. Francis was explaining to a brother the shallowness of joy that comes from success (which he calls "imposter joy"). In the words of St. Francis:

What is perfect joy? A messenger comes and says that all the masters of Paris have entered the Order, write, "not true joy." Likewise that all the prelates beyond the Alps, archbishops and bishops; likewise that the King of France and the King of England (have entered the Order): write, "not pure joy." Likewise, that my friars went among the infidels and converted them all to the faith; likewise that I have from God this grace, that I make the sick healthy and work many miracles: I say to you that in all these things there is not true joy.

But what is true joy? I return from Perugia and in the dead of night I come here and it is winter time, muddy and what is more, so frigid, that icicles have congealed at the edge of my tunic and they always pierce my shins, and blood comes forth from such wounds. And entirely [covered] with mud and in the cold and ice, I come to the gate, and after I knock for a long time and call, there comes a friar and he asks: "Who is it? I respond: "Friar Francis." And he says: "Go away; it is not a decent hour for going about; you will not enter." And again he would respond to my insistence: "Go away; you are a simpleton and an idiot; you do not measure up to us; we are so many and such men, that we are not in need of you!" And I stand again at the gate and I say: "For the love of God take me in this night." And he would respond: "I will not." I say to you that if I will have had patience and will not have been upset, that in this is true joy and true virtue and soundness of soul.

McLaren says, "Francis's story goes about four basements below the ground floor of anyone's acceptability level. To achieve that kind of true joy, one needs more than the common grace of a good personality. One needs the 'soundness of soul' that comes through following a sound way of spiritual practice for many years..." 

I might add (or perhaps clarify) that true joy like that can only come from the grace of God. It reminds me of nothing less than the words from Galatians 5:22-23:  

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..."

Something I do not yet possess in full, but have seen glimpses here and there.

One of these days, my friend, one of these days...