Rejoice Always

 

Give thanks in all circumstances.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, 3rd Sunday of Advent B, December 17th, 2023
Texts: Isaiah 61:1-2.10-11; Canticle: Luke 1:46-50,53-54; 1 Thess. 5:16-24; John 1:6-8.19-28 

Today is called Gaudete Sunday, which means joyful Sunday, Sunday of joy.  Hence, St. Paul exhorts us thus: “Rejoice always”. Our joy should know no end, it should be without ceasing. There should be no time out as we rejoice. Does this not means that joy should be our ways of life? Whatever we do we should do it cheerfully. Talk with joy in your hearts; walk around with joy in your hearts; work with joy in your hearts; sleep with joy in your hearts; wake up with joy in your hearts. This is possible when we hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil. 

Whatever situation we find ourselves, we should embrace it with joy. If it is unpleasant situation and we can escape from it, let us do so. If we cannot escape from the unpleasant situation, let us embrace it with joy and compassion.  

Giving us the magnificat of the Virgin Mary in today’s Canticle is an invitation to be like Virgin Mary. She says, “My soul magnifies the  Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”. There are two things, here: magnifies and rejoice. Appreciation of the Lord’s goodness and wonders goes together with joy in the Lord. The awe of God’s goodness and wonders envelops us in joy. St. Paul invite us to magnify the Lord when he says, “pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances”. Veil is drawn over joy when darkness is cast upon the goodness and wonders of God in one’s life. 

God will not fail to give us reason to rejoice

Why should we rejoice? St. Paul answers the question thus: “for this is the will of God in Christ  Jesus for you.” God will not fail to give us reason to rejoice as it is His will for us to rejoice. Hence, Virgin Mary says, “For he who is mighty has done great things for me”.  

At this time we rejoice because our preparations have yielded fruits and set us on the path of salvation. We are now more whole, more righteous, freer from sins and ungodliness. Our bodies and spirits are now kept sound and blameless as we await the Lord  Jesus Christ. We can now say, “I will greatly rejoice in the  Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness”.  

We now discover the Spirit of the Lord upon us and the assignment for the Lord. This is clear the first reading. Prophet Isaiah says, “The Spirit of the  Lord GOD is upon me, because the  Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the  Lord's favour.” The Spirit of the Lord is upon us to achieve the purpose of our lives. St. Paul says, “He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 

We are to thank God in all circumstances: He is always good

It is also on this note that we are to thank God in all circumstances: He is always good. We also are to rejoice because our hope in Him is built on solid foundation. In the words of St. Peter: “Although you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy” (1Pet.1:8). 

St. John reminds us, in the gospel reading, that Advent is a period of rekindling faith in our Lord. He affirms this by saying that John’s witness is to make us believe in Jesus Christ. He puts it thus: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.” His testimony is that he was to call people to prepare for the Lord’s coming. And that he who comes after him is the Christ. With the ministry of John the Baptist there is much light in our hope of the Lord’s coming. 

Prayer 

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke