Today we celebrate the Third Sunday in Advent, also called Gaudete Sunday. Christmas is almost here, and the waiting is nearly complete. Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin. We switch from purple to rose in the advent candle, altar linens, and vestments for Mass to indicate this special Sunday. All of our readings encourage us to rejoice, while we patiently await the coming of Jesus.

What does it mean to rejoice? What do you think of when you hear that word? The dictionary definition of the word means to feel joy or gratitude. The definition focuses on feelings or emotion. Think of the happy events in your life; a wedding, a child being born, getting a new job or promotion, a vacation. All of these can make us feel joy. But like all joyful feelings, the initial joy subsides, and you are back to your daily life with its ups and downs. 

So, what would be a biblical definition for the word rejoice. It still means to have joy and gratitude, but the joy is in the Lord. The focus changes from ourselves or things around us, to God. It’s not a feeling but a spiritual place to be.

I heard Bishop Barron talk about the circular aspect of our lives. In the outer part of the circle or wheel, is where we experience the joys and sorrows of life. At the top of the circle is where we are happy and at the bottom we are not, for many reasons. In between we move from happiness to sadness and then back. The center of the wheel, where everything is connected, is where we find Jesus.   

In our first reading, the prophet Zephaniah tells the people of Isreal to, “shout for joy”; “be glad and exult”, “sing joyfully”.  In other words, to rejoice. Why? The Lord freed them from their ways by, “removing the judgment against them”. They should rejoice because the Lord is in their midst, so they have nothing to fear. God has done the same for us. Plus, the Lord is singing joyfully over them. If God is singing joyfully, we should too. We might not sing perfectly like God, but that’s okay, sing anyways.

We continue the theme of rejoicing in our second reading from St. Paul.  He tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. The key word there is always and it’s not a request, it’s a command! But always… that seems hard to do. Let’s go back to the wheel I mentioned before. I think we could all agree we could rejoice when we are at the top of the wheel or even on some part of the sides. But how do you rejoice when you are at the bottom of the wheel; feeling sad, afraid or anxious. Remember who is at the center of your wheel. Jesus has called us to join him in the center of the wheel. And when we join him there, we can see life through his lens. Through faith and trust in Jesus we know the sorrows and disappointments will not last forever. That goes for the happy times also. To have true lasting joy we need to get away from the spinning part of the wheel and move to the center with Jesus.  

St. Paul reminds us as in the first reading: the Lord is near. So have no anxiety at all. That seems hard to do. How do we do that? The people in today’s Gospel asked John the Baptist a similar question. Now baptized, they asked, ”what are we to do?” John offers practical advice; be fair and honest with others. Do not extort them. Be happy with your wages. St. Paul gives us spiritual advice. Through prayer, give thanks to God for all he has given us, then ask or petition him for what you need, trusting you will receive it in the proper time. We can rejoice and have no anxiety knowing Jesus has already rescued us from death by going to the cross.

The great author, C.S. Lewis, used an interesting German concept to explain his meaning of joy. He called it a “longing”. The continuous joy St. Paul writes about can be achieved by longing for God’s love, longing to be free of our sins through Gods’ grace.  It’s important to long for God as a community of believers and not just as individuals. That longing moves us from the outer part of the wheel to the center with Jesus. At the center we also find peace. The peace that surpasses our understanding. St. Thomas tells us that “peace implies these two things, namely, that we be not disturbed by external things, and that our desires rest altogether in one object”. Sounds like our wheel.

St. Thomas teaches us that joy is the immediate response of the rational soul when it perceives that it has laid hold of some good thing that it loves. Love equals joy: a very simple equation.

In our remaining days of advent and our Christmas season, try to focus on God and his blessings for you. Ask Jesus to help you move out of the outer part of the wheel and to the center with him. There you will find His amazing peace and love, knowing he will keep you safe. In His presence, you can “rejoice always” in Him and bring the good news of Jesus to others.