Advent is not Lent. The blue or purple on Advent vestments and altar cloth is for divine majesty, for the Coming of God, the true Ruler of humankind. The purple of Lent is for penance, for “repenting in dust and ashes.” Advent is the season of patient waiting for the Coming of God, and yet, we wait in joy. The first two readings today bring out the theme of joy, of rejoicing in the LORD, of praying with joy. John the Baptist has a more sober message of repenting as God comes, but we are to take these readings as a unit: Repent, indeed, and also let your hearts rejoice, as salvation draws near.
What is joy? It is the heart-felt response to the presence of the one you love. When your beloved is with you, you feel joy. To wait for the ultimate Coming of God with joy, and for the Church to encourage us to feel this joy, is possible for one reason: We are waiting for the One we love, and for the Lover who is already present with his people. We are not wailing and crying in our season of longing, but even now, rejoicing that the God we await is with us, waiting with us. He who is Coming is He who is already here. Otherwise, we are not waiting for God, but for someone else, something else. The LORD of all is present, and in him we rejoice; and yet, we long to become all the closer to God, for our ultimate joy to flood us completely.
Christians ought not to be an essentially mournful, unhappy, dismal people. Yes, we will suffer, and there are times for mourning, as when a beloved has died. We mourn with those who mourn, as we do with John Hill’s family now. But the Christian attitude remains hopeful in the midst of suffering, trusting that God the liberator is at hand, and as we surrender our hearts and minds to the God who is present here and now, we truly do “enter into the joy of the LORD.”
“Rejoicing in the LORD shall be your strength.” Take courage in the God who comes, and yet is with us every moment of our journey home. “Behold, I AM with you always, even to the End…”
I believe that Pope Francis would approve this message. He encourages us to be a joyful people, and to help others live in God’s peace and joy. Our Pope seeks to share joy, because he knows the healing power of the joy of the LORD—something the world cannot give.
What is joy? It is the heart-felt response to the presence of the one you love. When your beloved is with you, you feel joy. To wait for the ultimate Coming of God with joy, and for the Church to encourage us to feel this joy, is possible for one reason: We are waiting for the One we love, and for the Lover who is already present with his people. We are not wailing and crying in our season of longing, but even now, rejoicing that the God we await is with us, waiting with us. He who is Coming is He who is already here. Otherwise, we are not waiting for God, but for someone else, something else. The LORD of all is present, and in him we rejoice; and yet, we long to become all the closer to God, for our ultimate joy to flood us completely.
Christians ought not to be an essentially mournful, unhappy, dismal people. Yes, we will suffer, and there are times for mourning, as when a beloved has died. We mourn with those who mourn, as we do with John Hill’s family now. But the Christian attitude remains hopeful in the midst of suffering, trusting that God the liberator is at hand, and as we surrender our hearts and minds to the God who is present here and now, we truly do “enter into the joy of the LORD.”
“Rejoicing in the LORD shall be your strength.” Take courage in the God who comes, and yet is with us every moment of our journey home. “Behold, I AM with you always, even to the End…”
I believe that Pope Francis would approve this message. He encourages us to be a joyful people, and to help others live in God’s peace and joy. Our Pope seeks to share joy, because he knows the healing power of the joy of the LORD—something the world cannot give.
