Rejoice!

Third Sunday of Advent

Year B

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11; Luke 1:46-50, 53-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

Rejoice always.
1 Thessalonians 5:16

“Rejoice!”  It’s the theme of the day and this particular part of Advent.  We’re more than half-way through Advent and Christmas is coming into view.  There’s cause for rejoicing.  But the Church has more in mind than the celebration of Christmas.  Our Advent journey is still focused on the triumphal and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Why do we rejoice?  The Church gives us a hint here.  First, a little bit of background.  Today is known as Gaudete Sunday [pronounced Gow-date-ay].  It’s the first word in Latin for the opening antiphon of the Mass.  It means “rejoice”.  The opening antiphon is the chant done at the beginning of Mass that signals us as to the theme of the day and the focus of the celebration.  Unfortunately, a number of parishes do not use the opening antiphon and so this cue is lost.  The opening antiphon for today’s Mass is taken verbatim from Philippians 4:4-5: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.  Indeed, the Lord is near.”  It’s the last part that forms the incentive for the first part.  Let’s explore.

St. Paul’s reason for telling us to rejoice always is because the Lord is near.  He has in mind the return of Christ, which the first generation of Christians were expecting in their lifetime.  Since the Lord will return soon it reshapes current circumstances.  What difference does it make that they are ruled by a despotic emperor, or that they are persecuted, imprisoned, or killed?  Or what if they are sick, or crippled, poor, or blind?  What if they are losing their business, or they have been wronged by a friend or brother?  While these things certainly affected them as they would affect us, they could reshape their priority by thinking that the Lord will return soon and when He does there will be peace, justice, healing, and everlasting joy.  With the joy of heaven so close the things of earth begin to dim in comparison.

However, we should not think that the first Christians were all super saints.  They could easily be discouraged, angered, or embittered just like us.  Thus the reason that Paul had to remind them to rejoice.  This was a theme for Paul, not just with the Philippians, but also with the Thessalonians.  We find it as part of our second reading today.

We think that the letters to the Thessalonians were among the earliest written.  There was some obvious confusion surrounding the teaching of the Lord’s return.  Paul wrote to encourage them, but also to bring clarity to this teaching.  As he concludes his first letter to them we find him giving them a series of “bullet” encouragements: “Rejoice always!”  “Pray without ceasing!”  “Always give thanks!”  “Do not quench the Spirit!”  There’s a progression to it.  Begin by rejoicing, even if you don’t feel like it or it runs contrary to your circumstances.  This will lead to prayer and thanksgiving.  If we live this way we will not quench the Spirit.  But if we give in to our natural feelings and passions then the implication is that we run the risk of quenching the Spirit.  The phrase conjures the image of water.  The Spirit flows to quench our spiritual thirst. But if we grieve Him away then we are without spiritual sustenance.  Paul writes to warn us against that.

Why is rejoicing so important?  Because it keeps us connected to God!  How do we rejoice always?  Maybe we can rejoice sometimes, but always?  How does that work?

Perhaps it will be helpful to consider another passage of scripture from Hebrews 12:2 where we read, “… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…”  Did you see it?  There was joy in view for Jesus when He went to the cross.  The occasion was not joyful, but God’s purpose in it was.  We learn to rejoice always when we can gain Jesus’ perspective in our trials.  We may not understand them like He did.  But we can trust that He is working in them nonetheless and that brings joy!

Think about movies you’ve seen or books you’ve read where there is a character that is blissfully joyful no matter what happens.  Maybe you even know someone like that.  We have a tendency to laugh at their naiveté.  We may even scoff that they are too “Pollyannaish” after the famous character.  But deep down we all envy them.  Wouldn’t it be great to be so happy all the time!  The truth is this is the birthright of the Christian.  If we lived with heaven in view then joy would be our default mode of living. 

I say all of this fully realizing we are in the midst of a global pandemic.  Between the illness itself, its effects, and the many restrictions we are living under as a result there has been a skyrocketing rise in mental illness, especially depression.  How can I speak of joy in a time like this?  Perhaps it will be helpful to consider something else the Lord has taught us.

When our Lord commands us to love Him, or our neighbor, or even our enemies, He uses a particular word for love that has come to us in the New Testament as agapao.  This word indicates a love that is rooted in the reason and the will.  It has nothing to do with feelings or sentiment.  On the other hand, a word used in the New Testament that indicates tender affection is phileo.  We cannot be commanded to feel something, but we can be commanded to do something.  The same principle applies to joy.  We are not called or commanded to feel happy.  That’s impossible.  We are, however, called to choose to rejoice, whether we feel like it or not.  The reason we rejoice is because the Lord is near.  He is near in time, He is near in our circumstance, He is near in our hearts, and His second coming is nearer every day.

So, dear Christian, rejoice!  Like Paul to the Philippians I will say it again: rejoice!  Whether you feel like it or not; whether circumstances are favorable or not; rejoice!  In fact, rejoice always!  For the Lord is near.  Then let us live in the reality that He is near rather than the delusion that He is not.