Third Sunday of Advent - December 14, 2014

Homily for December 14, 2014

Advent 3

Rejoice in the Lord Always

 

            At one parish where I was stationed there was a kid named Neil who was in our youth group. He was always smiling – and I do mean always. He was probably the happiest person I had ever met. Finally one day when we were tossing a football I asked him, “Neil, why are you so joyful?”

            He replied, with his customary smile, “Because that’s what Heaven is going to be like!”

            Pretty perceptive for a teen, I’d say. You know, Mother Theresa once said, “Joy is the unmistakable sign of the presence of God.” And today’s readings all encourage us to rejoice! In fact, that is what sets the third Sunday of Advent apart from all others: in the middle of what should be a season of penance and repentance, we take a Sunday apart to focus on rejoicing. That’s why the color we wear (and the color of the candle on the Advent wreath) is rose instead of purple. We even call this Sunday a different name: “Gaudete Sunday” which means “Rejoicing Sunday.”

            But I don’t know about you, but some days it seems hard for me to rejoice. The Christmas season can be a stressful one for many people – in addition to our daily busyness, we have the added pressure of shopping for Christmas gifts, planning parties, and sometimes seeing the dreaded in-laws. There are days when the stress of Christmas – and just the stress of daily life – can sap our joy. So how do we stay joyful in daily life?

            Well, the secret is that this is no ordinary joy. In all three readings that speak about joy, it says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” We’re not rejoicing because we scored a great deal on a big-screen TV. That kind of happiness fades quickly. We’re rejoicing because we have a friendship with Christ. We’re rejoicing because we know that our God is madly, passionately in love with us personally. Being happy about things that go right in our lives is fine, but ultimately it doesn’t last. But when we focus on the one thing that does last – being in love with God – this never changes and we cannot lose it!

            So often, our mood is based upon what happens to us. I know that I, myself, am a pessimist by nature. But that means that we’re kind of at the mercy of our circumstances – so we win two bucks on a scratch-off lottery ticket and we get happy, but then our boss yells at us and we get down, but then our kid gets a good grade on his test and we get happy once more, but then we find that the dog made a mess in the house again and we get frustrated. If we allow our emotions to be ruled by something as changeable as the circumstances of our daily life, then we’ll be up and down more often than a see-saw!

            But God wants for you abundant joy – joy that is deeper than just the circumstances of daily life. At the core of this joy is the realization that we are His beloved Sons and Daughters. Now, it’s a struggle to keep this joy when things are crazy or busy or stressful in life…but keep remembering that all things – even the frustrating things – are passing, and that God’s love for you never changes. Cling to this, and we will be able to rejoice always in the Lord!