Sunday, Dec. 1, marked the beginning of the Advent season, a four-week period of preparation and anticipation leading up to the Christmas holiday and the new liturgical year. As we look to week three, Rev. Ryan G. Duns, S.J., chair and associate professor of theology, provides a personal reflection on finding joy in the Lord:
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. The word Gaudete is a Latin imperative: Rejoice! Really? Rejoice? How can we be expected to rejoice in an era of political tension, ongoing war and uncertainty about the future? Yet this Sunday’s readings agree in calling — no, ordering — us to rejoice. How is this possible?
The first and second Sundays of Advent focus on proclaiming the good news that the Lord is approaching. On this third Sunday, the message shifts. The Lord is not just on his way because, day by day, he draws nearer. Even though we have not yet reached the longest night of the year — Dec. 21 is the winter solstice — we are nevertheless urged to rejoice because Jesus Christ, the light of the world, is about to break into the darkness of history.
In Sunday’s Gospel, the crowd asks John the Baptist, “What should we do?” to prepare for the Messiah’s coming. Think about it: What do the following have in common?
- Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none (crowd).
- Stop collecting more than what is prescribed (tax collectors).
- Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages (soldiers).
They are actions, each one a concrete way of responding to John’s message that the Lord draws near. These actions, these gestures, are nothing less than physical acts and expressions of joy.
Joy is not just a feeling. Joy, as glimpsed in the Gospel, is a practice. Instead of grasping and clinging, joy moves us to give freely and generously. For me, my niece and nephew personify the act of joy. Whenever I enter the house after a long time away, they drop whatever they are doing — helping my mom cook, helping my dad clean — and run toward me with open arms to give me a squeeze. Their joy is an action, a practice, that draws them into communion.
No one of us is a stranger to the darkness of loneliness, anxiety and fear. Yet it is into this darkness, into the darkness of our hearts and our history, that today’s message penetrates: Rejoice! Rejoice because the One who loves you is coming. Rejoice because the One for whom you long for draws near and is not far off. Rejoice by letting go of the baggage you carry — your resentments, your grudges, your doubts — and open your arms to receive the One who wants to be your guest.
The Lord draws near. If you open the ears of your heart, perhaps you can hear his footsteps approaching. The advent of the heart’s Beloved is a privileged time. Rejoice! Rejoice because Emmanuel desires to make your heart his dwelling place. Now is the time to open wide your arms and cry out, “Lord, I welcome you with joy!”
