Zep 3:14-18a; Psalm: Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6.; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:10-18 54s54
As we draw closer to Christmas, we’re called to rejoice! Gaudete, in Latin, is in the imperative form, Rejoice! Today we’re summoned to ‘Rejoice’ in the nearness of Jesus’ birth!
So, everything today is filled with an atmosphere of intense joy! Because we are the community of those who are reached by the love of Christ; we have been saved and we know it! We are the community of the forgiven; the community of the redeemed. So, our hallmark is JOY. Joy is what defines us! So, rejoice – you are saved
You know, especially under Pope Francis, we as a Church have entered into a kind of kairos of Joy, the time of Joy! Many of the Pope’s texts and letters bring the word ‘Joy’ – Gaudium – in their titles, such as Evangelii Gaudium; Gaudete et exsultate; Amoris Laetitia; or at least contain expressions of joy and praise, like Christus Vivit or Laudato si’
So, the Church is teaching us to ‘react’ to the darkness of the world by ushering us into this Heavenly joy! Actually, the Source of our joy is God – not the things of this world. Unlike our moods, which can be so unstable, the source of our Joy is constant! As St. Teresa of Avila once said, God never changes. The world may turn and turn, but He remains steadfast!
In the First Reading, we hear from the book of Zephaniah, a prophet who warned a distressed people about the coming of the Lord. But, instead of delivering a scary warning or something that would only make the people feel even more hopeless, He just ‘breaks into song’:
‘Shout for joy, Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad, exult with all your heart, Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, He has turned away your enemies’. So, this indescribable joy that we are called to experience comes from the boundless Mercy and Salvation God has brought forth in the midst of His people (in our midst).
If we take a moment to look back on how much God has done for us, how much He’s forgiven our sins and surrounded us with His care and affection, we, too, will find our hearts bursting with gratitude and joy. And this joy born of gratitude has the power to wipe away any bitterness from our hearts!
I’m sure you’ve faced many enemies- ones you could never have defeated on your own! But the Lord stood right there with you; He reached out His hand and saved you from the dangers you were trapped in. He pulled you out of the abyss. So, REJOICE!
In the Second Reading, St. Paul encourages the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (…) Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that sures all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
‘Have no anxiety at all!’ – Easier said than done, right, St. Paul? But, like a good teacher, Paul doesn’t just pump us up—he actually gives us a path to break free from anxiety: prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. In other words, he’s basically telling us to trade our anxieties for faith. And the thing is, if we pray, we have faith; and if we have faith we know – without a shred of doubt – that God is right here with us. He’s here with me! Whoever prays is never alone!
And then, another way for us to actively increase faith and joy in our lives is what John the Baptist tells the people in the Gospel: start sharing what you have! ‘Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.’
I love this story; I tell it all the time! One day, a journalist asked Mother Teresa of Calcutta how she always managed to keep a smile on her lips. Even when she walked through the sketchiest slums in the world, she was smiling! And she answered:
“I keep smiling because my hands are always busy wiping tears away.” In other words, I’m always smiling because I’m always loving; I’m always offering myself to others. My friends, one of the greatest sources of joy in our lives is to share who we are and what we have!
Whoever is unselfish, generous in giving of themselves, begins to participate in God’ Own Happiness, His Bliss, His Paradise, His Divine Joy. St. John of the Cross says something very beautiful: “The soul of the one who serves God and the others, is always swimming in joy, and is always in the mood for singing.”
One more thing: Joy is not an artificial or fake feeling that we create by ourselves or for ourselves! No! Joy is, above all, a gift from on high, a gift of the Holy Spirit. A saint from the 18th-19th century, Seraphim of Sarov, was having a deep conversation with one of his disciples, Motovilov, and as they talked, he asked the Holy Spirit to come upon him.
So, at a certain point, Seraphim asked: What are you feeling now?’ And Motovilov answered: ‘I feel an extraordinary joy in my heart.’ So, the saint continued: ‘When the Holy Spirit descends on us and grants us the fullness of His presence, the soul overflows with ineffable joy, for the Spirit of God fills everything He touches with joy.
The Spirit of God fills everything He touches with joy! Do you want to rejoice? Invoke the Holy Spirit more often, with greater ardor, eagerness, and more desire. And then, the Holy Spirit will make you recognize the Presence of God all around you and draw you into the joy of worship. The great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine, says:
“There’s a joy not granted to the wicked but only to those who worship You, God – and this joy you yourself are. The happy life is – to rejoice in you, God. But those who think there’s another joy and follow after other joys, and not the true one, find nothing but shadows.”
So, “Rejoice in the Lord!” He is the reason and the Source of our Joy, He Himself is Joy itself! Seek Him, and He will let Himself be found! ‘Cause if we have Him, we have everything! Amen!
Fr. Cristiano Pinheiro, ShCC
Brooklyn, NY, Dec 15h, 2024.
