Third Sunday of Advent

Today's Mass Readings

The first and the second readings today talk about joy. Isaiah says in today’s first reading, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul” (Is 61:10). St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always” (1 Thes 5:16). The intriguing thing is that both Isaiah and St. Paul faced immense hardships and their life and ministry posed many dangers to them, including the danger of losing their lives. And yet they talk about JOY! I think all of us, in our own ways, are in a similar situation as Isaiah or St. Paul. On the one hand Christmas the Feast of joy is almost here. The angels on Christmas night told the shepherds in the field, "I bring tidings of great joy.” On the other hand, the economic recession, the threat of terrorism, and an unstable market is affecting many people. In our own personal lives there could be hardship, turmoil and frustration. The question is this. Can we always be joyful this Christmas? Can we “rejoice always,” as St. Paul exhorts us, even though there may be reasons for sadness?

Joy is a gift from God and one can experience it, in spite of the gloom, as a consequence of three things:

1) Joy is the result of a right relationships with God. We are God’s children and this advent we must be deepy conscious of God's presence in us. Joy comes from our abandonment into the hands of our God.

2) Joy comes as a result of right relationships with others. This Christmas, we will be deluding ourselves if we think that we can experience joy and peace without reconcilation. Joy comes from being just, peaceful and a loving people.

3) We must also be in a right relationship with ourselves. There is always a gap between the kind of people we want to be and who we are. We need to make a fresh start toward who we want to be. Real joy comes from allowing God to transform us into the image of Christ.

Fr. Satish Joseph