THE CALL TO REJOICE IN THE LORD
13th December 2015: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Zep 3:14-18; Phil 4: 4-7; Lk 3: 10-18
Rejoice, again I say rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, rejoice without ceasing, rejoice with the joy of the Lord!
The three aspects of the joy given here are:
1. It is a Joy in the Lord: It is not because of an affluent condition or a material addition, but because of the presence of the Lord that we are filled with joy. Like Mary, like Elizabeth, it is the presence of the Lord and awaiting the Lord's doing, that gives us true and unparalleled joy.
2. It is a universal call to rejoice: The call to rejoice is given to all... a Christian cannot be gloomy, says our Holy Father. That is why the reflection, Evangelii Gaudium, the joy of the Gospel. Joy is one essential sign of the Lord's presence with us. As the apostles who shared their lives with Jesus, as the first Christian community found their identity in the Lord, so are we called to find our living, our moving, our very being is in the Lord.
3. The call to rejoice is against all odds: We are called to rejoice but that does not in anyway guarantee a smooth life, a peaceful existence...definitely no! But the call is to rejoice against all odds. There may be problems and difficulties, encouragements and despise, criticism and challenges, but the call to rejoice remains.
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice!