THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, December 15, 2024
(Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18)
You might know that this third Sunday of Advent is called "Gaudete
Sunday" or, in English, "Sunday of Rejoicing." Today,
we are called to rejoice for a couple of reasons. First, we’ve passed more than
half of the waiting period for Christmas. But more importantly, joy
characterizes the entire Advent season. Allow me to explain this further.
Centuries ago, in France, Advent was considered a time of
penance. During this season, catechumens prepared for baptism on the Feast of
the Baptism of the Lord. For this reason, the community fasted along with the
baptismal candidates. However, this was never the custom in Rome where Advent
prepared for Christmas. After the Roman Church unified celebrations throughout
its domain, it became clear that Advent is not a penitential season but one of
joy. This is evident in today’s first readings with the gospel indicating the
motivation of such joy.
In the first reading, the prophet Zephaniah calls Jerusalem
to rejoice, saying: “The Lord, your mighty Savior, is in your midst.”
Similarly, St. Paul, in the second reading urges that the Philippians rejoice joy
for a similar reason: “The Lord is near.” Today, we rejoice because we
sense the Lord’s imminent arrival among us.
The gospel exhorts us to good works. We are all called to
help the needy, act with fairness, and to tell the truth. When we always act in
these ways, we feel a deep satisfaction for having fulfilled the justice to
which the Lord calls us. Furthermore, we are joyful because the Lord’s coming brings
us the promise of eternal salvation.
During the Christmas season many seek pleasure. They buy liquors,
prepare special meals, and take vacations. These gratifications are not
inherently bad, but they do not offer the joy that Advent invites us to
experience. It’s important to understand the difference between pleasure and
joy to grow spiritually.
Pleasure is a sensual emotion, something we feel when we
come into contact with an external good. However, its effect is fleeting and
usually individualistic. For example, seeing a beautiful sunrise brings us
momentary pleasure, but we cannot share that sensation with those who do not
see it.
Joy, on the other hand, is an emotion of the spiritual
appetite. It can arise in several ways: practicing virtue, coming to understand
a profound truth, or loving goodness. Joy will perdure in our memory because it
does not depend upon anything outside itself.
Born out of effort, joy can be shared with others who have had the same
kind of experience. For example, the satisfaction of having achieved an
academic degree can last for years and be shared with others who have worked
hard to achieve a goal.
In these days before Christmas, we can experience joy by
performing acts of charity. Parishioners who prepare bags of food for the poor have
this spiritual satisfaction. They return home content, knowing they have
fulfilled the Lord’s command to feed the hungry. They further sense that Jesus
is near to reward them.
However, it is not necessary to accomplish great deeds to
experience the joy of Christmas. We only need to believe that Christ is at hand
to save us from our folly.
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