Advent 4 Rejoice In The Lord Always

 The Sunday in Advent that celebrates lighting the candle for Joy is usually on the third Sunday.  However, just to be a bit unpredictable, St. James Anglican Church marked the Advent Sunday for Joy this past Sunday.  This is referred to as Gaudete Sunday and the candle that is lit is the pink one which is the odd candle out and stands out amongst the other ones which are purple coloured.  The joy of Advent is that of anticipation and a celebration of what is to come.  This is in the middle of Advent which is the season of preparation.  Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice which is a reminder that we should rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4: 4).  Advent began as a season of fasting and Gaudete Sunday marks the point at which we can look in anticipation in the breaking of the fast in the celebration and celebrating of the Twelve Days of Christmas culminating with Epiphany and the arrival of those tardy Wise Men. 

We can think of the joy of Mary in the knowledge that she is the God bearer with that dubious news that she would be a pregnant unwed mother - not great news in those days.  It is that mixture of joy in the midst of all that is going on, that signifies the true meaning of joy for me – the joy that despite all that is happening in the world and perhaps in my life, God is with me and will be born again for the world and for me.

Pope Francis expressed this aspect of joy in a very down to earth way in his first Gaudete Sunday as Pope:

In his 2014 Gaudete Sunday homily, Pope Francis said that Gaudete Sunday is known as the "Sunday of joy", and that instead of fretting about "all they still haven't" done to prepare for Christmas, people should "think of all the good things life has given you."

That joy is a sign and a reminder that Jesus did not come into this world to make life a bed of roses for us.  There are still challenges and rough roads and sorrows in our lives.  But we have joy which, as the Medical Mission Sisters sang, is like the rain amidst all the ups and downs and thunder clouds gathering:

I saw rain drops on my window, joy is like the rain
Laughter runs across my pane, slips away and comes again
Joy is like the rain

I saw clouds upon a mountain, joy is like a cloud
Sometimes silver, sometimes gray, always sun not far away
Joy is like a cloud

I saw Christ in wind and thunder, joy is tried by storm
Christ asleep within my boat, whipped by wind, yet still afloat
Joy is tried by storm

I saw rain drops on a river, joy is like the rain
Bit by bit the river grows, till all at once it overflows
Joy is like the rain

I am sure it is difficult for those on the west coast who have recently experienced rivers overflowing their banks, to experience joy in the midst of their trials.  Sometimes, joy is indeed difficult to find.  However, God is there always and so joy is there also.  Let us give thanks to the Lord in all things if not for all things.   So, let us rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. 

Let us be blessed with joy on our journey to Christmas. 

Joy to the World

Last Sunday was the third Sunday in Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for ‘rejoice’ and the third candle is the pink/rose coloured one (the other three are red).  But why pink?  One source I consulted notes, “Long ago the Pope would honor a citizen with a pink rose (or a rose rose?) Priests then would wear pink vestments as a reminder of this coming joy.”

I have, in the past, pondered the difference between joy and happiness and I don’t think I have a complete handle on the difference.  As far as I can determine, happiness is a reaction to specific events and joy is a state of being.  When we sing the carol “Joy to the World the Lord is come,” it means that we are declaring that the world is in a state of joy as the Prince of Peace is born.  However, he is not the Prince of Joy as that is the state we experience when peace reigns in the world. 

In any case. I have been, not surprisingly, encountering joy in many things I have read in the last few days.   The Advent reflection for December 17^th which I receive in my inbox notes that we have the anticipation of joy when we consider the birth of the Christ child:

As we move toward the manger, we sing with great gladness. The song is ancient, sung by the heavenly host and repeated by the shepherds as they traveled to see the Christ child. Glory to God in the highest. O come let us adore Him. The song carries the weight of the hope of believers through the ages. It is a song of expectation, of anticipation, of joy and wonder.

In another case, I was drawn to reading The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen which explores the painting by Rembrandt of the parable.  The painting came up in my session with my Spiritual Director.  Nouwen notes that the joy experienced on the return of the prodigal son was driven out by the resentment felt by the older brother:

But this shout of joy cannot be received.  Instead of relief and gratitude, the servant’s joy summons up the opposite: “He was angry then and refused to go in.”  Joy and resentment cannot coexist.  The music and dancing, instead of inviting joy, became a cause for even greater withdrawal. 

Nouwen notes that he had experienced a similar reaction as that of the older brother:

But my anger was so great at not being told about the party that I couldn’t stay.  All of my inner complaints about not being accepted, liked, and love surged up in me, and I left the room, slammed the door behind me.  I was completely incapacitated―unable to receive and participate in the joy that was there.  In an instance, the joy in that room had become a sense of resentment.

 So, other than giving up the comfortable feeling of resentment, how do we achieve joy?  One clue was in the prayers of the people on Sunday.  In the prayers we give thanks for many things; for being called to be the people of God, for the community of faith throughout the world, the privileged of ministering to others, and for the countless gifts of God we have received.  Giving thanks to God in all things. This will go a long way to experiencing joy. 

Nouwen notes that it can be a choice, “Every moment of each day I have the chance to choose between cynicism and joy.  Every thought I have can be cynical or joyful.  Every word I speak can be cynical or joyful.”  I believe that this is a great part of a joyful life.  However, in no way is it easy and should not be made to seem so.  I do not have a natural inclination to joy.  That is part of who I am.  I think many people are not naturally joyful and it does take a conscious effort to cultivate joy in one’s life.  Giving thanks to God in (not for but in) all things is the way to approach it, even if it doesn’t seem to come naturally to many of us.  Thanks be to God. 

Blessings on you journey and may your experience be one of joy.