REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS

December 15, 2024 – Third Sunday of Advent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121524.cfm)

How joyful are you today? Do you find joy in things that you do and with those that you have? Are you joyful too with your relationships now? Do you find joy with what is going on with your life despite the struggles and problems you have?

Each of us is gifted and blessed despite the problems and trials that we might be facing right now. This should be reasons for us to be joyful and grateful. This should hopefully lead us too in sharing our gratitude to God and joy to others.

There is a particular gift also that we should be grateful and be more joyful. This is the Gift of God’s Self to us. God’s gift of Himself to us is what we have heard in the readings today on this Third Sunday of Advent, also called as Gaudete Sunday. And so let us explore together the sacred scriptures and discern how God invites us today.

In the Book of Zephaniah, we were told that God is indeed with us. The prophet proclaimed, “The Lord is in your midst!” God has forgiven us and even blessed us with His presence.  Having this confidence, it calls us to rejoice.

In the second reading, St. Paul reiterated the message of Zephaniah. Paul reminded the early Christians to rejoice and always be joyful because God is with us. In fact, Paul’s words echoes to us today, “Rejoice in the Lord always!”

This joy is in fact TRANSFORMATIVE. This means that joy is life-changing and life-giving. John the Baptist told us about this, of the one mightier than him. When we accept the Lord in our life and allow him to be in us and with us, then, God leads us to change our bad old ways from being self-centered to life-giving, from being fearful to having faith, from being bitter to being better and grateful.

This leads us to share what we have to those who are in need, to share our joy to those who are joyless and to share our life and presence who need friendship and company. These are all emphasized in the Gospel in the way the converts asked John the Baptist on what they should do after their baptism, like the tax collectors and even the soldiers.

The response of giving and sharing is according to the way they should live their lives, in their daily affairs. Thus, each of us too is called to express joy in our life according to the state of our life now.

Are you a student? Then, you are called to express joy in your studies and in your school. Are you working? Then, express joy at your workplace and with your co-workers. Are you out-of-school or still looking for a job yet? Then, express your joy in your neighborhood and to your friends. Are you a young parent? Then, express your joy to your child.

Therefore, on this third Sunday of Advent, God invites us to be joyful because we are gifted and blessed. And because joy empowers us to express it, then, be free to be joyful and let not problems discourage you. Be free to communicate joy and let not fear and shame prevent you. Be free to accept joy from others too and let not bitterness, judgments and biases hold you back. Be free to draw joy from your surroundings and with nature. Be free to make your daily work, daily studies and daily responsibilities as your joyful recreation for yourself, your family and for your friends; let not complaints and ungratefulness hold you from being truly joyful everyday.

Indeed, let joy make us young and free, alive and life-giving to others. We pray that as we make ourselves joyful, we may also welcome the Lord in our hearts with much joyful anticipation as He comes to us today so that we may “rejoice in the Lord always!” Hinaut pa.