Be joyful!

The Covid-19 virus continues to dominate our lives and it is getting worse. The daily death rate is now over 3,000 persons. The nightly news is depressing except for the fact we now have a vaccine.  Despite all this, the scriptures for these last few days of Advent proclaim we should be joyful.

For instance, the Prophet Zephaniah is excited about God’s forgiving love and pardoning Israel for its faults.  “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing Joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” (Zephaniah 33:14).  Zephaniah calls the people to be joyful by shouting, singing, being glad and exultant (Zephaniah 3:14-18).

Psalm 33 was written to encourage and celebrate those Israelites who were living their right relationship with God. “Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.” (Psalm 33:1).  Take out your harp and lyre and make joyful music to the Lord.

In Luke’s gospel, after learning from the angel Gabriel that Mary will give birth to God’s son, she hastens to the hill country to visit her pregnant relative Elizabeth.  Elizabeth greets Mary, an unmarried pregnant woman, with loving kindness and joy, not the social ostracism that was customary in those days. Elizabeth showers Mary with honor, love, and blessings (Luke 1:39-45).

The challenge all of us is to daily be grateful, appreciative, and joyful for God’s forgiving love and mercy and show loving kindness to all we meet.  In gratitude we should shout, sing, be glad and exult.  Despite all that we’re going through in the world.