Rejoice!

Today we celebrate ‘Gaudete Sunday.’ The name means ‘Rejoice’ and it is taken from the original Latin introit or entrance antiphon for this Mass, which sang the words of our second reading from Philippians 4, -- Gaudete in Domino semper: “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Similarly, in our OT reading the Israelites were told, “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!”(Zep 3:14). Why did they experience this joy? Because the prophet Zechariah tells them, “The LORD has removed the judgment against you” (Zep 3:15). The Lord invites his people to experience the joy of forgiveness, the joy of the Gospel.

There is more here! This forgiveness is not just a contractual matter. Like paying off a car loan. The people of God are the daughter of Zion, or the daughter of the King. Sacred Scripture can often have many layers of meaning both literal and spiritual.

In the New Testament, we all become adopted sons and daughters of God through communion with Christ and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:20). Forgiveness invites us into a relationship with him.

In what is probably his most famous sound bite, Pope Francis reminds us, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.” (EG 3)

The overall theme of Advent is a time of waiting, of hope and of preparation for the Lord’s coming. The person and preaching of John the Baptist invite us to prepare by repenting and renewing our commitment to the coming King.

In today’s Gospel, the crowds who listen to John the Baptist pose the same question three times: “What shall we do?” (Lk 3:10, 12, 14). Three different groups of people ask this question. The crowd in general; tax collectors; and, finally some soldiers. John the Baptist gives a slightly different response to each group. Share what you have too much of, collect what is just, and be content and do not abuse your power.

What we cannot miss, however, is that this question and John the Baptist’s answers, are in response to John’s call to first renew their faith as God’s children and then to respond by a baptism of repentance. If we separate morality from relationship and a conversion of the heart, we end up with mere joyless rule following. We reduce the faith to duty and legalism. Those who fail to follow the rules out of duty turn away in discouragement, and those who appear to succeed wrongly fill themselves with pride and see themselves as ‘better rule followers’ in comparison to others.

Many Catholics focus on following the rules without considering their relationship with the King. Have you ever heard someone say, “Rules, rules, rules, the Church is just trying to guilt me into doing something”? Perhaps someone else approaches the moral life like driving the speed limit when travelling on the freeway. They go as fast as they think they can get away with, without getting caught, or punished. Have you ever heard some might say, “Ahh, It’s only a venial sin, it’s no big deal!”

Notice as well that John the Baptist says, one greater than he is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The Catechism reminds us that there is a New Covenant with God’s people and this requires a New Law. “The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit received by faith in Christ, operating through charity.” (CCC 1983) This New Law or “The Law of the Gospel fulfills and surpasses the Old Law and brings it to perfection.” (CCC 1984).

In case some Type A perfectionists are getting nervous, we are not tossing out the Ten Commandments, we are instead bringing them to perfection in a new way. The new framework is personal relationship with God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. God calls us not to mere duty but to the joyful pursuit of happiness in relationship with him and in the power of the Spirit.

Our second reading highlights the fruit of living a joyful life in pursuit of God’s happiness. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).

St. Paul continues, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7).

“Have no anxiety at all.” Seriously Paul? We live in a world filled with stress and anxiety. Is it possible to live a joyful life in communion with God, without any anxiety at all?

Jesus said something very similar to this in John’s Gospel. Jesus talks about bearing much fruit by remaining in his love. Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). This does not mean he will protect us from suffering in this life. Jesus continues, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20).

What if we took the question posed by the crowds to John the Baptist, and instead asked St. Paul, “What shall we do?” St. Paul’s answer to anxiety is “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” Modern psychology has identified two things that help us to cope with stressful situations. The first is to reframe our thinking and the second is to become aware of and embrace our emotions.

Does St. Paul offer spiritual disciplines in these verses that touch on these needs? Reframing our thinking involves changing how we see our reality. Abraham Lincoln famously quipped, “Do we complain that roses have thorns or do we marvel that a thorn bush has roses?” Can prayer change how we see the world? St. Paul mentions bringing our prayers and petitions to the Lord and thanksgiving in this passage.

Many saints have told us about the power of prayer. St. John Chrysostom says that, “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.”

Likewise our namesake, St. Thérèse notes, "It is the spirit of gratitude which draws down upon us the overflow of God's grace, for no sooner have we thanked Him for one blessing than He hastens to send us ten additional favors in return.”

We must begin with the realization that God loves us, and we are his children. He desires our happiness. He will not necessarily protect us from suffering, but will ultimately bring us joy. “What shall we do?” Perhaps concerning suffering, only those who have accompanied Jesus in the mystery of suffering can rightly bear witness to this joy.

“What shall we do?” We learn to trust in little steps. Perhaps we can begin by truthfully asking ourselves. Am I happy? Have I found joy in this life? Have I tried to find joy and peace in my prayer with Jesus? I would invite you today to take a small step on this journey. Jesus promises to give us joy! Try to prove him wrong, if your heart is not yet ready to trust in him …but take the first step!
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