December 6, 2022 at 4:41 p.m.
Rejoice, for the Lord is near!
Rejoice, for the Lord is near!
Our signpost, or guide, for this third week is a simple and yet potentially difficult message: Rejoice, for the Lord is near! Today we celebrate what is sometimes called “Gaudete” or “rejoicing” Sunday, echoing the words of the entrance antiphon for the Mass: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” Indeed, we are asked to rejoice, because the coming of our Lord and Savior is near. This theme of rejoicing is marked in our readings, our prayers and in the option of having rose-colored vestments and Advent Wreath candle (rose being a mix of the purple of Advent and the white of Christmas).
Our readings certainly reflect this sense of joy. Our First Reading from Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of joy and hope, as the desert and parched land bloom. What is more, God will strengthen those who feel worn down or frightened: “be strong, fear not!” The coming of the Lord will therefore bring healing and renewal. St. James reminds us that to have a sense of true joy, not only requires hope and strength, but it also needs patience. This virtue of patience is certainly not part of our modern and “instant” culture, yet it is essential.
In a very moving Gospel, we hear about St. John the Baptist, who has been imprisoned by King Herod and who will shortly be executed. John sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus whether he is the expected one or not. Some commentators speculate whether St. John is feeling worn down or frightened (remember that First Reading from Isaiah). Whether or not this is the case, Jesus’ answer to the question gives great joy and hope: “What do you see?” Jesus asks, in reply. The answer is that Jesus fulfills the prophecies and promises of hope and joy that we hear in our First Reading, for the Lord brings healing and new life to those in need.
Putting all this together, our readings show us what we, as Christians, mean by “joy” and also how we can live it. It certainly does not mean pretending all is fine, or of putting on a happy face or fixed smile when all is not good. The word used for “joy” in the New Testament is chairete and it is actually a word with many meanings and levels. To name a few of these, it first means a profound and real sense of God’s love for us, a great feeling of trust and confidence in God, so that whatever happens, we have His love and care. Christian joy then is not something superficial, nor as Bernard Bassett remarked is it “contingent” (that is depending on things going well, or on circumstances, or on others); but rather it is a gift and an inner peace and strength that is there, regardless of life and its ups and downs.
Christian joy is also a spiritual way of living and seeing ourselves, others and the world, so that we are tuned into God’s will. As Abbot Marmion wrote, “joy is the very echo of God’s life within us.” In this sense, joy is certainly an attitude to life and a spiritual gift. It is also eminently practical; especially when, with God’s help, we try to develop spiritual values and a way of everyday living that are what we might call joy-giving, rather than joy-killing. A great exercise during this third week of our Advent journey might be to strengthen all those things that, spiritually speaking, bring us joy and also root out those attitudes or values in our life that we know are joy-killers.
Let us also be ambassadors of joy, not by coming out with platitudes, or saying that all will be OK when it may not be. Instead, our Lord asks us to be his hands and feet, actively bringing healing and hope to all those we meet. There are plenty who need some form of healing from spiritual blindness or deafness, or those who are lame or crippled by sadness or despair, or those who are treated as social lepers and who need to be respected and befriended. In other words, the Lord asks us to be joy-bringers and so continue his mission and ministry. After all, for Christians, “joy” is not only a noun or an adjective, but also a verb and an adverb!
As we begin what is probably a crazy and busy week ahead whether at work, or school, or with all those Christmas preparations at home, let us live the words prayed at Mass on Sunday: “we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
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