Gaudete Sunday: Prepare and Do Everything with Joy

12-15-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of Joy. The pink candle symbolizes the joyful anticipation of His coming and the commemoration of His birth in Bethlehem on Christmas Day.

The readings and the psalms all focus on the joy we experience anticipating the birth of the Savior, calling us to be joyful always. For those in deep sorrow, the prophet Zephaniah exhorts them also to rejoice. St. Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Philippians is likewise an invitation to be joyful and glad for the Lord to come soon, and he will remove all fears from their hearts. The Gospel invites us to walk the path of righteousness and love; do this, and there will be great rejoicing.

The coming of Christ brings great joy and gladness because of the good news of our salvation. Let us carry the good news in our hearts and the joy that comes from it. As Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” says: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness. With Christ, joy is constantly born anew.” Our everyday encounter with Jesus gives us so many reasons to rejoice. He stays with us as we journey towards the Father.

Be joyful even in trials and difficulties because we know God is above all these. The Lord will come to bring forth renewal and justice in the land. He comes to wash away our tears and bring happiness to those on the path of justice and peace. Let us rejoice and be glad!

Advent is not just about preparation through repentance and penance but of joy and hope. Rejoice for someone greater and mightier than you, and I come to be with us until the end of time. As John the Baptist reminds us, there is someone greater than us: “One mightier than I is coming.” The earlier we accept that we are weak mortals, the easier we can conquer our illusions of greatness and might. Remember the simple lesson in life: Let go and let God! Believing someone above us can lead us to share, to be honest, and to love. Listening to something or someone greater than ourselves sets us (truly) free.

Let us rejoice for the many things that give us joy: the simple, the ordinary, and the profound. Waking up in the morning, the first sip of our coffee, the chill of the morning air in our garden, and the promise of a new and great day. Be joyful because of the many people we encounter throughout the day. The people in our family, people at our work (coworkers and bosses), and the people God sends us to remind us of His presence (who challenge or inspire us). Profoundly, the joy that comes from overcoming trials and difficulties, from experiencing the movements of God in our lives, a spiritual realization of God’s constant presence in our lives. The Lord is here with us; He is the Emmanuel; God is with us. May we all experience the greatest joy of knowing how much God loves us. As they say, more than the candles and Christmas lights, let our faces and hearts light up joyfully. And let us also make the faces and hearts of the people around us light up with JOY!

Lord, help us to prepare for your coming joyfully, and to do all things with joy in our hearts.