Gaudete!

Today is the third week of Advent, or in pre-Vatican II language, Gaudete Sunday!
Gaudete means "Rejoice!" Why? Because there's just one more week of Advent (after this one). Jesus is almost here! Rejoice!

It took me a while to understand this. What's the point of rejoicing in the midst of this time of preparation? Shouldn't we save the rejoicing for Christmas?

In a word, no. We are supposed to live the joy of Christmas (and Easter, for that matter) each and every day. Although our eyes are fixed on Christmas and the coming of the Incarnation in our world and in our lives, the joy of Christmas transforms the present.

David Bosch argues that, "in the Christian faith, the future indeed holds the primacy … not because the present is empty, but precisely because God’s future has already invaded it." In A Theology of Hope, Jurgen Moltmann insists that our lives are to be lived in "active hope" which doesn't just fixate on tomorrow, but which allows us to be fully open to the present.

Knowing what we know -- that the Incarnation is coming, that the Resurrection lies ahead (well, at least according to our liturgical calendar -- in reality, these events have already come and transformed the world), that grace triumphs over sin -- we have EVERY REASON to REJOICE TODAY.

In a previous post, I quoted a line from Nietzsche, who famously asked, "You say you are a Christian, but where is your joy?" This is a terrific challenge for us, this week in Advent. This is a reminder to LIVE what we read in today's second reading (1 Thes. 5:16-24):

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit ...

The future transforms the present. It's like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Back to the Future" or a million other movies that try to show us the value of life, what a precious gift this is, and not just to KNOW it, but to live differently because of it.

So this week, live with JOY in your heart. Let the joy of Christmas and the joy of Easter transform the way you see the world. And through the joy you live and share, let that transform the way others see you, so you can, like the saints, be a "little mirror," reflecting the glory of the future that awaits us.