The Third Sunday of Advent is a welcome change from the last
couple of weeks of ‘end time’ readings and instead, focuses our attention on
the spirit of joyfulness, because this is an essential mark of true faith in
Christ. This Sunday is called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ which is Latin for ‘Rejoice
Sunday’. All of the readings are full of
joy and the thrill of happy expectation. In the Gospel reading, John the
Baptizer preaches good news to the people, and they are filled with joyful
anticipation for whatever God is about to do.
Do you know that joy is a ministry? It's an important way to
share the faith. We all have a calling to do this ministry wherever there is
misery and hopelessness. Anyone who is in a ministry knows that their heart
must be in it; a heart that is full of joy, humility, thanksgiving, and
prayer. We can use St. John the Baptist
as our example.
Having faith means trusting God which means resting in hope
which produces joy. When you or someone you know is lacking joy, it's because
Jesus has not yet been invited fully into the situation that's been stealing
the joy. It might be too early in the grieving process, which is healthy and
normal, or it might a lack of faith, which needs nurturing.
The ability to experience the joy of faith comes from
turning to the love of God and receiving his comfort in the midst of hardships.
It also arises from getting to know the joyful side of Jesus and the joyful
purposes behind all of his teachings.
Jesus preached going the extra mile, loving our enemies, and
doing good to those who cause us hardships, none of which is fun. What we need
to discover and then share with others is that holy living, although not always
fun, is what unites us to the joyful love of Jesus and the joyful purposes of
everything he preached. Remember, even going to the cross produces joyful
results.
The good news is: Jesus didn't just tell us how to be holy,
he gave us the power to be holy: He gave us his Holy Spirit. And when others
see the Holy Spirit's activity in us, if they know that Jesus is the reason for
our joy, they are evangelized by our faith!
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