Good Shepherd Catholic Parish

3^rd Sunday of Advent, Year C

          Peace be with you on this, our celebration of the third Sunday in Advent, also called Gaudete (gau da ta) or Joyful Sunday.  As we do every year at this Mass, we light the rose-colored candle on our advent wreath, and we wear these attractive rose-colored vestments.  Pretty good looking and joyful, don’t you think? 

           Well, I read several commentaries written by lots of smart people about this celebration today and generally they all talk about slowing down and giving yourself time to be spiritually joyful.  They advised us not to fret about all the stuff we haven’t done yet getting ready for Christmas.  They say stop, pray, and think of all the good things life had given us.  Pretty good advice as we rush around focusing on all the material elements of the holidays, just exactly as our materialist society tells us we should be doing.

Friends, when you do slow down for just a minute, it’s important to meditate on what joy really means and what the reason for Christmas joy really is.  Meditating on the true meaning of joy is particularly important because the word joy is often misunderstood, especially spiritually.  Many think joy is always reduced only to pleasurable feelings or physical delights.  Joy, however, is NOT a simple pleasure or delight.  Gosh, even my dog takes delight in getting a doggie treat, but good old Daniel Webster tells us joy is an emotion.  And folks, as hard as it is for all of us pet owners to believe, real emotion just happens to be a uniquely, God given, human only trait.

So, what causes this uniquely human and yet, very positive emotion we call joy?  My sisters and brothers, true joy, that’s true joy, can only be generated by another God given, uniquely human trait – love!  The joy of Christmas, therefore, does not come from all the bright and colorful holiday “stuff” our culture wants us to buy.  Far greater than the presents we exchange at Christmas is the presence of Jesus Christ, sent to us by God the Father out of love!  A gift wrapped in swaddling clothes.  God’s presence in the Word made flesh is the true source of Christian joy.  As people of faith, this is why we can actually feel joy, yes joy, even when we might be suffering.

Now, I’ll have to admit, when I first read those commentaries, where they advised me to slow down and think of the good things’ life has given me, I initially thought to myself, what about those people suffering at Christmas?  If I’m physically, mentally, or emotionally in pain right now it’s real hard to think about good things’ life has given me.  Anybody ever been there or maybe, you’re there right now?  I couldn’t help thinking about a 20-year-old Paul Keil, December 1968, halfway around the world from home, sitting there with other guys, sipping warm beer in a dark, damp, dirt floored shelter, staring at a stupid little plastic Christmas tree.  We were not joyful, and we cried.  In fact, mental health professionals tell us, Christmas is sometimes a season of even greater despair for those suffering, especially emotionally.

OK, so let’s start with today’s readings to talk about joy for everyone, but especially those who may be suffering.  First, of all, in the Gospel we hear the same question asked three times, “what should we do?”  John the Baptist gives three specific answers in three specific situations, but the real answer comes from Paul in the second reading.  “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I shall say it again: rejoice!”  Really?  OK St Paul, but I’m lonely, during my first Christmas away from home, with people trying to kill me every single day, staring at that stupid little plastic Christmas tree, and you want me to rejoice?

Well, fortunately for me, and for all of us sitting here in Church today, we now know the whole salvation story.  First, let’s always remember the Bible operates at multiple levels, both literal and spiritual.  Now, as we read the Bible, never, never, never think that Jesus wasn’t literally a great healer and miracle worker.  He did literally cure physical blindness, physical crippling disease, physical deafness, and even physical death.  Today however, we might look at all those physical conditions as metaphors for our own spiritual ailments.  If the most successful leader in industry is spiritually blind then, like anyone who cannot see, he or she may spiritually wonder aimlessly tripping over obstacles, unless someone is there to guide, and guidance is accepted.   With the incarnation the Creator God was, and still is, repairing a creation damaged by sin.  With his life, death, and resurrection Jesus Christ is eternally dealing with the greatest suffering affecting all of humanity, and you know what, it’s not physical.  The greatest suffering is brought about by alienation from God – through sin.

Let me make a suggestion for homework.  During the rest of this Advent Season, wow, for the rest of our lives for that matter, let’s get our Bibles out and review all those physical ailments Jesus cured during his earthly sojourn and ask; am I sometimes spiritually blind, spiritually crippled, spiritually deaf, or even spiritually dead?  Maybe I should relook at that list and make it part of my examination of conscience before reconciliation.  Regardless, we can confidently know Jesus is perfectly merciful, ready to heal us of our spiritual ailments, and forgive our sins, just like he healed and forgave those suffering 2000 years ago.

Before his Ascension, the Lord Jesus promised he would never abandon us when he said, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  He remains present with us in many ways, but especially through the Eucharist.  Always, always, always remember, real joy, I say again, real joy is a uniquely, God given, human emotion and it is not dependent upon physical pleasure or even physical wellness.  It is dependent on love.  So today, we can truly rejoice before the True Presence of the Lord on the altar given in love. 

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first to experience the presence of the Lord in the flesh come to our aid as we approach the solemn days of Christmas, reminding us, “there is cause for rejoicing here.” (1Pet 1:6).   Amen.