To speak of joy may seem naïve or misplaced as we look at the state of the world today.
The wars in Ukraine and Israel, the polarization in our society, the paralysis of the government, and the many conflicts in the Church easily leave us feeling sad and despairing.
The mental health crisis in our country deepens, as significant percentages of young people report long-term depression, strong feelings of hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts.
Last year alone, 50,000 people in our country took their own lives.
Yet, the Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday — Latin for “Let us rejoice.”
We light the rose candle on the Advent wreath to remind us that we are past the halfway mark of this holy season and that Christmas is just around the corner.
Writing from prison, facing imminent death at any moment, St. Paul bids the Christian community at Philippi to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all.” (Philippians 4:4-6)
Astonishing words from a man wrapped in deep suffering.
The secret to finding joy
Of course, the secret to St. Paul’s joyful equanimity was his profound relationship with Jesus Christ.
This Apostle to the Gentiles suffered imprisonment, shipwreck, beatings, hunger, torture, calumny, betrayal, and ultimately martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel.
He could have easily lived a quiet existence, expanding his career as a tentmaker, and dying peacefully as an old man in bed.
The Lord Jesus, however, had called him by name to an arduous life of evangelization, and after his remarkable experience of the Lord on the road to Damascus, St. Paul never looked back.
He could endure with joy all that he suffered because he kept his eyes on the prize of eternal life with God.
Again in Philippians, he writes, “Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit towards the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Especially in these difficult times, we may be tempted to think that joy is beyond us, and so we settle for fleeting pleasures or a fragile happiness, clinging to a faint shadow of the explosive joy the Lord wants for us.
Think of the joy of Heaven, where the saints and angels rejoice forever in the glorious light and perfect love of the Triune God, where there is no sin, sadness, division, suffering, or death.
Jesus promises each of us a personally prepared place in that glorious kingdom, after this life of struggle, sorrow, and separation.
We are exiles in this world, strangers and sojourners making our pilgrim way to the Father’s house, and so the Lord gives us strength for the journey.
The loving communion of the Church, the encouragement of the Scriptures, the nourishment of the Eucharist, the graces offered in prayer, and the hope of eternal life sustain us on this strange, beautiful, difficult, and gracious adventure.
Cultivating joy in your life
Faith gives us needed perspective when we face loss, illness, grief, and trial.
Hope reminds us that all of this difficulty is temporary and fleeting.
Love helps us to bear the cross, trusting that one day we will wear the crown of eternal glory.Here are some practices that help me to cultivate joy in my life.
1. Frequently throughout the day, I seek to lift my mind and heart to God.
These little moments of spiritual uplift renew my vision and goals, reminding me that the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb is occurring in Heaven in every moment. I need to listen to its music!
2. I reach out to others in need, knowing that if I can lighten the load of a brother or sister, my own joy will increase and my self-preoccupation will decrease.
3. I try to imagine what Heaven will be like if the Lord mercifully allows me in.
From that supernatural perspective, I know that the greatest difficulties and heaviest crosses of my life will be the most valuable gifts that helped me to reach the prize.
In Heaven, our earthly experience will make sense, all conflicts will find resolution, and our joy will be full.
If this eternal joy is our destiny, I want to be joyful now. I do not want to wait.
I don’t want to come to the end of my life here and realize that I spent countless days and years consumed with sadness, anger, despair, and hopelessness.
Christian joy is not naïve or disparaging of the very real pain of people’s lives.
On the contrary, if we embrace the joy of knowing that we are loved by the Lord, we will feel a spiritual propulsion to take that joy to those around us, to love and serve them, and to share with them the transforming power of faith in Christ.
May these days of Advent be a time of quiet and fervent joy for you and your loved ones!
The Lord indeed is very near!