Radical Joy: Reflections on the 3rd Sunday of Advent

The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday. The term
Gaudete refers to the first word of the Entrance Antiphon,
“Rejoice.” Our celebration today echoes those words, “Rejoice:
the Lord is nigh.” This weekend, the celebrant at Mass has the
option of wearing rose-colored vestments, and we light the
rose-colored candle on our Advent wreath to emphasize our joy
as Christmas draws near. The lighter colored candle also
speaks of the coming of Jesus, who is the light of the world,
and whose light dispels the darkness of night. The near arrival
of our redemption should be a cause of great joy for us. The
Lord is coming again in glory to restore our dignity, which was
stolen from us by the evil one, who tempted our first parents.
We sing O Come, O Come, Emmanuel as we express our
expectant hope of his glorious return at the end of time, and
also of his coming among us in the innocence of a child.

But what is there to rejoice about when the world as we know
it is constantly in a flux, and life seems to get more difficult by
the day? Why rejoice when wars and threats of nuclear and
large scale combats are destroying lives, limbs and properties?
Why rejoice when the moral fabric of society is collapsing and
violence of every kind are becoming the norm? Why rejoice
when the Church and institutions we once trusted seem silent
or not speaking loudly in the face of social injustice and
suffering around the world? We can go on and on… While I
might agree with the majority opinion about the state of affairs
in our world, I prefer not to trade blames, but do my part to
make the world a better place. I find the sayings of St. Peter of
Alcantara insightful: “Truly, matters in the world are in bad
state; but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a
really good beginning will have been made.”

Is our joy contingent on the fact that we have nothing to worry
about? Should it be defined by the news media or by the
government of the day or its policies? Should our joy be
dependent on a thriving economy or the victory of our favorite
football team. If our joy was reliant on these ever-changing
circumstances, we would be a helpless bunch. On the contrary,
our joy is built on the assurance that our hope is not deceptive
(Romans 5:5), that Christ will come again as he promised. He
will come to take us to our eternal home, where we would
behold God face to face, and see him as he truly is. This is the
hope of a Christian. It is not this-worldly, but ever focused on
the life to come. Thus, our joy cannot be determined by the
temporal and always changing situations on earth. We have
confidence in him who said, “in the world you will have trouble,
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!