REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!
A Blessed 3rd Sunday of Advent to all! Today is known as “Gaudete Sunday” or “Rejoice Sunday”. The name is from the Latin text of St Paul’s Letter to the Philippians Chapter 4 Verse 4 that states “Gaudete in Domino Semper.” (“Rejoice in the Lord Always!”). Indeed, we rejoice because the moment when we will celebrate Christmas & Jesus’ Nativity is very close at hand.
The Liturgy today has many expressions of joy. The Rose coloured Vestments that are worn at our Eucharist instantly portray the great joy we are all to experience. The First Reading from Isaiah 61 tells us of the joy we all receive in the Year of Jubilee (cf Leviticus 25) because the favour of the Lord is upon us. Our heartfelt response is thus “My soul rejoices in the Lord!”, echoing our Blessed Mother’s Magnificat. The Second reading bids us to always be happy & rejoice, pray constantly & to give thanks to God (cf 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). And in our Gospel in John 1, we hear John the Baptist declare that someone (Jesus) is coming after him.
Yet, true & authentic Christian Joy is not merely a fleeting experience of happiness, like when we receive a present, get a good year-end bonus, go for an awesome holiday, have a great meal etc. For if our joy is based on these external events, what would happen when we face trials, adversities, sickness & other challenges in our lives? No – our Joy is much deeper & is really an “Inside Job”. It’s the deep-seated conviction in our heart that Jesus is near to us; that the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts & permeates every fibre of our being with the joy of the Lord; that God loves us with an everlasting love & will never forsake us. So, we can stay joyful, positive & hopeful though we may be feeling sad & there’s no external sign of happiness.
So, how do we cultivate this consistent attitude of Joy? Here’s a simple approach: When facing any situation, good or bad:
1. Look AROUND – see the goodness of God that surrounds you.
2. Look BEHIND – see the times in your life in the past when God had blessed healed, saved & protected you.
3. Look INSIDE – connect in a heart-to-heart way with the Holy Spirit who dwells in the depths of your baptized soul.
4. Look UPWARD – praise, glorify & thank God for all He has done in your life.
5. Look FORWARD – see with the eyes of faith the way to move forward.
Today, in Holy Communion, when we receive Jesus, let us really open our hearts to Jesus. As we receive the joy of His presence into our lives, may our joy be perfect & complete (cf John 15:11).
Truly, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) Praise the Lord!