Fr. Albertus Magnus Herwanta, O.Carm
In a world wounded by crimes, conflicts, wars, and violence, is it possible to proclaim joy? Despite all these troubles, the Catholic Church is faithful in bringing joy. On November 24, 2013, Pope Francis signed his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG).
At the beginning of his exhortation, he wrote, "The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness" (EG no. 1).
This indicates that the Church keeps proclaiming the Gospel and walking together with the world's citizens, especially those who lose hope and joy. She teaches them, "With Christ, joy is constantly born anew" (EG no. 1).
Through her liturgy, the Church also shares her belief that God, the source of joy, is in the midst of the people. On the Third Sunday of Advent, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, which invites us to rejoice. Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).
How can we rejoice in the midst of natural disasters, wars, crimes, injustice, hatred, poverty, violence, and political strife? This is a challenge and an opportunity to reflect on the importance of joy.
What is joy? Trusting God's love and promises creates a more profound sense of peace and gratitude. Joy depends on our relationship with God, not on our circumstances. God has established a relationship with his people through Jesus Christ, whose birth we await. We must believe that Jesus is our source of joy and that a man is defined by joy.
From the beginning until the end of his life, he proclaims joy. Angels announced his birth as "good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21) and promised to make our joy complete. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). Finally, it was the joy of Jesus that led him to endure the suffering of the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
The Church is the body of Christ and always brings his joy. The words of God on the third Sunday of Advent give us a reason to rejoice. The prophet Zephaniah proclaims, "Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgment against you; he has cleared away your enemies" (Zephaniah 3:14-15).
So, let us shout for joy because Jesus, the source of our joy, is coming among us. We are called to share joy with those who live in sadness, sorrow, and pain so that they may experience the joy of God because "God made us for joy" (Henri J.M. Nouwen). (*)