The Third Sunday of Advent, C December 16, 2018
Fr. Albert St. Peter’s,New Iberia
Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel nascetur pro te Israel. You can probably figure what that means because it has the same tune. That’s the original Latin version going back 300 years, though the words themselves come from the ancient O Antiphons, which are over 1500 years old.
Gaude means rejoice. Today, the third Sunday of Advent, is called Gaudete Sunday because rejoicing is the theme. Christmas is almost here. God is coming,so we should rejoice. It’s why we wear pink, the color that symbolizes joy. And joy or rejoicing are mentioned over a dozen times in the readings. So that’s what you should do today. Gaudete. Rejoice!
But what if you don’t feel joy right now? What if you just can’t even rejoice right now? I mean, isn’t joy a feeling? And who can just decide to be happy, right? Right. And wrong. It’s true that we cannot simply will our feelings to change. If that were true, everyone would just decide to feel good all the time. Yet, the kind of rejoicing I’m talking about goes much deeper than a feeling or emotion. It’s not like fun, excitement, or pleasure.
As you might remember from catechism class, joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. Unlike the gifts of the spirit, they are called “fruits” because they grow. Like a living thing, you need the right conditions to make it grow. That’s why joy is both a choice and not a choice. You can’t just decide, “I’m joyful.” But, it is a choice because you can choose to provide the right conditions. And the conditions for this fruit called joy really are under your control. Joy does not come from being healthy, or rich, or lucky. As the name “fruit of the Holy Spirit” tells us, it comes from the Holy Spirit. In other words,wherever the Holy Spirit is, joy will grow.
So, if you’re just not feeling the joy, what can you do to plant some Holy Spirit seeds in your life? Listen to John the Baptist and St. Paul. They give us the conditions for cultivating joy. John the Baptist tells the crowds that the Messiah, Jesus, is going to bring the Holy Spirit. The crowd wants to know “what should we do?” The answer to that question is the same as the answer to our question about growing in joy.
“Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Giving away extra possessions to care for those in need is an excellent way to make room for the Holy Spirit and the joy he brings. The world lies to you and says more stuff equals more happiness. We are one of the richest nations and also one of the most depressed. Money and stuff might be fun, but that is not the same thing as joy. Generosity is one of the best ways to find joy.
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone.” Be honest in work and at home. Getting away with a scam or successfully fooling someone might be exciting, but that thrill never lasts. It also multiplies the anguish and pain when you are caught. The joy that comes from being honest, however, cannot be taken away by someone else. The contentment of looking back and saying “I stayed with the truth” is really beyond the power of outside forces and the decisions of others.
When St. Paul tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always,” he sums up generosity and honesty in “your kindness should be evident to all.” He goes on to add “Have no anxiety at all.” How can someone get rid of their anxiety? “In everything, by prayer and petition… make your requests known to God.” We all have struggles and difficulties, but they do not have to rob us of joy. To find joy even in the midst of trial and pain, we allow the light of prayer to shine in our lives.
I don’t mean a few memorized prayers a few times a day. I’m talking about a deep, heartfelt conversation with God. I’m talking about being brutally honest with yourself and with God in your prayer. Yes, he knows everything that’s going on with you, but he still wants to hear it from you. Actually, you might not really know what you’re dealing with until you express it in prayer. In everything… everything make your requests known to God. This builds faith. It deepens your friendship with God. And that causes joy to grow, even if you still suffer.
Finally, and perhaps best of all: gratitude. Paul includes gratitude in his command to pray and John tells the soldiers to “be satisfied with your wages.” Gratitude can be a spontaneous feeling that wells up in a good moment, but it is also a choice, an act of the will and a responsibility. If you make the choice to thank God often, you will grow in joy.
Even science confirms what faith tells us about this one. It’s not about blindly pretending everything is fine. It is deliberately looking for what is good. For Catholics who know the power of the cross, it also means being grateful for the ways that God pulls a greater good out of suffering and trial. Thank you, Lord for humbling me. Thank you, Lord for the things that are going well.
It might seem silly, but once, when I was feeling pretty depressed, I decided to test this gratitude thing out. I started to thank God for the only thing I could think of at the moment: My toes. And then my feet. And ankles, and all the way up. And it worked. Stopping to acknowledge the great design and usefulness of something that’s always been there opened me up and I experienced joy. If you make a habit of thanking God every day – multiple times a day – for whatever you can think of, you will become more joyful. Generosity and honesty might be like fertilizer to the fruit of joy – they help, but gratitude is like water. It is essential for the growth of Joy.
And the Holy Spirit lovesgratitude. God chose to give us his very body and blood at Mass andcall it Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” So, Rejoice. God came as a babyto save you. Rejoice, God is coming again to finish what he started. And thebest way to prepare is to nurture the fruit of joy in the garden of your soul. Feedit with generosity and honesty. Shine the light of prayer and water it always withgratitude. Emmanuel is coming. Gaudete!