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Mailing Address: PO Box 575
860.658.7627
Mailing Address: PO Box 575
860.658.7627
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December 9, 2021This weekend we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, known as “Gaudete Sunday”, from the Latin word for “Rejoice!” St. Paul in today’s second reading tells us, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice! Indeed the Lord is near.” (Phil. 4:4-5). John the Baptist reminds us in today’s gospel that the Lord is coming, the one “mightier than I” who will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). This theme of rejoicing is picked up again in our first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!” (Zeph. 3:14). We light the rose colored candle of our Advent wreath as a sign of our joy.
Although many things in our lives and in the world around us give us reason to worry and even be sad, there are many ways to discover joy as well. Marie Kondo’s popularity around the world suggests that we are all seeking joy in our lives. Her mantra for decluttering is to ask, does this item still “spark joy” in me? If not, we discard it or give it away. We who are people of faith know that lasting joy is never found in material things. Just as the KonMari method suggests, material possessions may bring us happiness for a while, but their staying power is always short-lived, and then they eventually end up in a tag sale, at Goodwill, or in the trash. What produces lasting joy? Generally, it’s those “intangibles” of life: the love we have in our lives, the kindness we show to others, the giving away of ourselves.
John the Baptist hints at this in the Gospel when asked by the people who have embraced his preaching and been through his baptism of repentance, “What should we do?” John suggests simply, to do what is just in dealing with others, to share with those in need. Jesus himself brings joy to us through his coming into the world (think of our Christmas carols like, Joy to the World), and bringing us his “Good News” of salvation, and of everlasting life. Perhaps this week we might take some time to think about what truly “sparks joy” in our lives. Do we notice the paradox that we find more joy in giving than in receiving? That when someone we love is happy, we too find fulfillment? Let us be particularly attentive this week to those things dispel the anxiety and sadness that the world around us can bring, and allow that joy to lift us up and give us hope! Gaudete!
