Advent 3 - December 13, 2015

Advent 3

Joy: The Mark of Discipleship

December 13, 2015

 

            The word “Gospel” means “good news,” and I had a professor in seminary who used to say, “If the Gospel is good news, could you kindly inform your face?” I always thought it was a great line, because if we truly believe that the Gospel is good news, then we’re going to be joyful people!

            One big way to tell who among us is a disciple of Christ is that disciples have joy. But what is joy? And how do we obtain it?

            Well, let me first ask you a question. How do you think God looks at you? Do you think He sits in heaven, doing a face-palm and saying, “Gosh, I just wish they’d get it together.” Do you think He’s angry with you all the time? Do you think God’s like, “What a mess. I regret creating them.”?

            That is the exact opposite. Scripture tells us today that God “delights over you.” He rejoices over you, He sings over you. Goodness! That certainly doesn’t sound like a dour-faced God. This is a God who dances and sings because of how much He is in love with you. He doesn’t just “tolerate” you, or “put up with” you. He is smitten with you.

            God gave me an insight into this last year. I was doing some counseling with a young man who I’d known for several years (I’ll call him Johnny). He had been involved in some pretty bad stuff. As I was listening to him, I found my heart breaking for the trouble this teen was in. He kept saying he was unworthy, he was trash because of what he had done. I felt the exact opposite – he was heroically fighting a hard battle against sin and its consequences, and in my heart I felt like a father encouraging a beloved son.

            Well, a few days later I went to confession myself, and I felt so deeply ashamed of my own sins. Here I was, a priest, and I had offended Our Lord because of sin! Even after confession, I just felt rotten – unworthy, guilty, still beating myself up over it. As I was walking out of the church, I saw a statue of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and the Lord spoke clearly to my soul. He said: “Remember how you felt about Johnny? You loved him unconditionally. You didn’t reject him, but your heart ached because of the love you had for his soul. Do you not think that I love you in the same way?” I was hit with a ton of bricks – wow, God really feels that way about me?

            Yes, He does…and He feels that same way about each one of you. This past year I was a part of our diocesan Synod, on a committee that was focused around youth ministry. On the first day we were having an open discussion about what teens needed in order to follow Jesus. Not more classes, not more teaching, not fancier programs or better music at church – no, they fundamentally need to know that they are loved. Period. Because so many teens – and adults – do not believe that they are loved or that they’re lovable.

            I am here to profess that you are loved. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” Your life is not an accident, but a creation of a God who loves you more than we can imagine.

            And this is why we rejoice: because we are loved, and our life has meaning in this love. St. Paul thought that joy was so important that he told us twice to rejoice in the second reading! This joy flows from the confidence that God delights in us.

            Think, for a moment, about the feeling of happiness that comes from various things. Every week I stop by an excellent Catholic school in Norwalk called Regina Pacis Academy to teach religion to the kids. I always stop by the Kindergarten classroom, usually during play time. It’s funny to watch how the kids interact. If one girl wants a certain crayon that someone else is using, she’ll ask…then demand…then shout…then cry…then go into a full-blown temper-tantrum until she gets it. Then, she makes two scribbles with it…and then drops it about five seconds later when another thing catches her attention. The happiness lasts all of five seconds!

            But we’re not much better! So we watch our favorite TV show – nice! That happiness lasts for a half-hour. So we get a good grade on a test – awesome! That happiness lasts for an afternoon. So we get a raise at work – great! That happiness lasts, maybe, a week or so. So we buy a new car or X-box – wonderful! That happiness lasts, oh, until the first time you get in a fender-bender or spill a Big Gulp all over the front seat.

            Last week after the 10:30am Mass I was talking with one of our teens who was reflecting about Christmas. He was saying how much of a downer it is in Christmas afternoon, because there’s so much hype and buildup to Christmas morning, and then you open your presents and…that’s it. It’s like a letdown. But if Christmas is a letdown, then we’ve lost sight of where our true joy lies!

            The only true, lasting, permanent joy is in knowing that we are passionately, personally loved by God, and that our life is called to be a response of love back to Him. That’s the only joy that never fades. And that type of joy is different because it is always present, even when there are crosses and difficulties. Knowing that we are loved allows us to smile through tears.

            “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God,” said Mother Teresa. Yes, yes it is. If you have Jesus, and you know His love living in your heart, you will have joy.