Gaudete means "Rejoice"

The words of this Sunday's readings are the closest we have to the joy of Christmas itself. In the second reading, we hear "Rejoice! Again I say to you, rejoice!" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) "Why?" we ask.

The reason for joy is the same as that of the early Christians. They held to their firm belief that Jesus Christ paid the price for their sins and that He would bring them to glory in the life of heaven.

Yet we can be left emotionally unmoved at this teaching. A false "holiday" spirit has robbed Jesus of His own birthday. So we need to spiritually enter into the hearts of Mary and Joseph as they excitedly await the child's arrival.

St. Paul knew that the early Christians would be tested, so he exhorts them (and us) to "pray without ceasing" and to "give thanks always." Above all, he warns them, "Do not quench the Spirit." In this way they will be "preserved blameless in spirit, soul, and body . . . for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." For many, Christ came quickly as their faith led them to martyrdom. But they never lost their joyful spirit.

The Gospel continues the preaching of John the Baptist. (John 1:6-8, 19-28) How carefully he makes clear to the Pharisees that he is not the Christ, nor the light, but a voice testifying to the light that has come into the world. Fear and doubt thrive in darkness. Just as turning on a light in dark room can take fear away from a child, so the light that increases in us each day of Advent can shrink our fears and bolster our hopes. When the light intensifies to the radiance of faith's assurance, then we know joy.

The only legitimate fear we're allowed to cling to is the fear of not appreciating enough what the coming of the Christ Child into the world really means. Historically, it was truly an earthshaking event. Nothing would ever be the same again. Sin and darkness fled when the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. Of course, people can and do close their eyes to the light and choose to live without His Light. Only when we refuse to repent of our sins and hang on to the darkness can we have reason to fear.

When John in prison sends emissaries to Jesus to ask if He is really the Messiah, Jesus sends back the answer that He is already fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. (Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11) He tells John that the blind now see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Good News preached to them! John must have been filled with joy, even in prison.

There have been several examples of the joy that Christ’s light brings in my own life and in the lives of those around me this Advent season.  On Thanksgiving Day, my mother, knowing that I had to work and unable to accompany my wife and kids to the cabin where they were going to spend the entire weekend, had resigned herself to having a “TV Thanksgiving dinner”.  I felt really bad about it, but there was nothing I could do.  A couple of Mom’s neighbors, a father and son, came over and asked if she would like to have a Thanksgiving Day dinner with all the trimmings as they were cooking a huge turkey and would not be able to eat it all themselves.  She told them she would love to share their meal!  Because they were having trouble cooking the bird, it was a bit late when she finally ate, but they brought her two great big slices of turkey, some mashed potatoes and gravy, some green beans and some cranberry sauce.  She said it was delicious!  When I made my regular visit to her on the following Sunday, she related this story to me.  She thought it would be a good idea if I thanked them for reminding both of us what CHRISTIAN charity is all about.  I agreed.  They turned what could have been a very sad, very lonely time for my mother into an occasion for joy, because she saw Jesus through these two men.   A short while later, I heard them getting into their car to go somewhere (probably church) and I rushed out to thank them.  As I opened the front door, Mom said, “Look! Someone has planted some beautiful flowers in the box under my kitchen window!”  Sure enough, freshly planted, recently watered flowers were standing proud in the flowerbox.  I told the neighbors that I appreciated the love they show my mother all the time.  I wasn’t thanking them so much for their kindness to Mom as for their showing me the true face of Jesus.  They truly make me feel inadequate as one who preaches often and practices seldom.

Despite the poor economy and lack of civil discourse, despite growing poverty and eroding morals at all levels of society, we must let Advent rekindle our own spirit of hope and bring as much light and spiritual joy as we can to the darkness around us as we await Christmas.

Dear God, you know that our hearts long for the joy and gladness promised by life with you. Help us to remember that you are with us always, and that our hearts will rest only when they rest with you.

Holy Spirit, guide the choices we make throughout this week. Help us endure hardship. Remind us to be patient. Stifle our tendency to complain. Help us realize how much we owe the Creator for all we have and all we are.

Father in heaven, we offer thanks to You for sending John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the savior. Help us to heed the Baptist’s message to repent and to renew our commitment to live in holiness.

Come Lord Jesus. So often we are impatient for Your coming, yet we are fearful of living our lives as one with You. Come and ease our anxiety. Come and reward our patience. Come and remove our sorrow. Our communities and our world eagerly await the day of Your birth.

My prayer intentions today are for those who truly show the face of Jesus to others through their obedience of His command to love one another.  I pray that they will be rewarded with His pleasure on their own day of judgment.