Beloved friends in Christ,
Three invitations have been sent out regarding the joy of this Third Sunday of Advent. The first invitation is from the Prophet Zephaniah, it reads; “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” – (Zep 3:14). The second invitation is from the Prophet Isaiah, it reads; “Cry out with joy and gladness; for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel” – (Is. 12:2-6). The final invitation is from the blessed Apostle Paul, it reads; “Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again; Rejoice!” – (Phil. 4:4).
The joy of this Sunday is too great that it makes one cry! I once laughed at a joke to the extent that I started crying. And onetime in meditation upon the great mystery of the incarnation of Christ, I was overwhelmed by the amount of joy poured into my heart that I started to cry. On another occasion I saw an athlete finish a marathon distance and I started crying when I saw how much he had endured and the joy of victory that awaited him. The taste of joy of victory after a great trial is overwhelmingly sweet. I can only imagine the greatness of joy that awaits us in heaven. We always catch a glimpse of it whenever we go to the Holy Sacrifice of Mass and hear that constant beautiful intonation, “Introibo ad Altare Dei,” - “I will go in to the Altar of God,” to which a young gentle voice adds, “Ad Deum qui laetificat Juventutem meam”- “To God who gives joy to my youth.”
At the beginning of this season of Advent, we were told by the Prophet Isaiah that, “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to Israel.” And now, the Apostle declares to us that, “The Lord is near.” Here He comes! The joy of His coming fills our hearts, and we cannot wait to behold Him.
We find ourselves caught up in this overwhelming joy of the “Now and Not-Yet.” Our current situation can be compared to a mother who goes into labor. All the family members are exceedingly glad to hear the news of the baby’s arrival. And yet, they must wait a little longer. The baby is coming! But not yet here! That joy, mixed with the pain of patience, can be overwhelmingly sweet to the point of shouting, singing, crying out, or even bursting into tears of joy.
The joy of Christ’s Advent and arrival was first experienced by Mary, His Mother, and by John the Baptist while still in his mother’s womb, when Mary, the Ark of the Covenant, that most beautiful and fairest house of gold took the Most Blessed Sacrament, in a hasty procession, to her cousin, Elizabeth the wife of Zachariah. For, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the infant in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy.
And what an exchange between two babes that must have been, when John found himself in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament! He was so moved that his act of adoration was to swing about his tiny and tender legs inside his mother’s womb. He was the first, to adore the Most Blessed Sacrament.
This joy is experienced also by those who watch and wait in prayer for the King’s arrival, by those who are simple and humble of heart, by the poor in spirit, by those who hunger and thirst for justice, by the peace makers, by those who spend their lives working for the salvation of souls, by the lovers of good holy habits, and by those who are wounded by love; victorious with Christ they bear the scars of love. The joy of love fills their hearts to the point of shouting, and singing for joy.
Such souls give proof of Mary’s constant joy that is hers forever, for being the Tabernacle of the Living God. This joy remains, even in moments of great trials and tribulations. And together with Mary, they sing, “Magnificat Anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus, in Deo Salvatore meo – My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Let us join Mary in song and exultation and bid our souls rejoice in the Lord, now and forever. Amen
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