On the Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice”. As Christmas draws even nearer, we rejoice in what we have been preparing for. Joy is the main theme this week, as we can see in the first reading from Zephaniah; “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love”. We sing a song of praise in the Responsorial Psalm; “Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” In the Second Reading in the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul urges us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Finally, in the Gospel, as the people were “filled with expectation”, St. John the Baptist proclaimed that one mightier than he was coming and “he preached good news to the people”. During Advent, we are filled with expectation as we hear the good news of the joy of the Gospel.
You may be wondering, how can I feel joy and happiness with so many terrible things going on in the world, or maybe with all the trials in life? Though we may not always be happy at times because of external circumstances in our lives, joy is derived from knowing that we are unconditionally loved by God, and nothing will change that. So even in sad times, we can still have joy. Joy is a choice, not necessarily an emotion.
We try to gain happiness through things of the world, whether it’s fame, money, or possessions. I find it interesting which Gospel reading that the Church has chosen for us to read in this Third Week of Advent, the Sunday of joy. This week, St. John the Baptist addresses some of the issues of money, possessions and fame. When the people ask him what they should do, he tells them to be satisfied with their wages, to give an extra tunic to someone who has none, give food to others, to treat others with respect and not use them for their own gain. While saying these things, the people got excited thinking that John might be the Messiah. I think the point he was getting at is this: we have joy in knowing that God loves us; let us then love others as God loves us. When we act with charity towards others, it will give us joy. These are choices. I’ll never forget that once in a time of adversity, my friend said, “I won’t let them steal my joy from me.”
There’s an easy way to remember how to have JOY. J- Jesus, O- others, Y- yourself. When we prioritize in this way, we will have joy. Putting God first, others second, and ourselves last. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” – Luke 10:27
This week as we light the rose colored candle, may you find joy in the midst of darkness, what the candle signifies.