If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.
If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it stomp your feet.
This tune is one of the most popular and catchy songs that is sung and loved by children all over the world. The meaning behind the song is quite simple; it talks about the importance of happiness and how it is essential to share it with those around us. And it’s also the perfect song to kick-off the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Today is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means rejoice. That’s why we wear rose-colored vestments and light a pink candle – to represent joy, happiness, and the anticipation of Christmas.
But it’s really difficult to rejoice with everything that’s happening around us. People are losing their jobs, there’s broken relationships and deep-rooted hurt within our families, and people are being diagnosed with terrible diseases. Migrants are flowing into our communities with no place to live. Wars are happening across the globe, and people are being hated and abused because of their religious affiliation or the color of their skin. Right here, we’re suffering from the loss of our beloved pastor, all while experiencing the challenges of merging two church communities together. And, Christmas is one week away, and there’s so much to do and not enough time to do it. I don’t want to be a deacon-downer, but man, happiness and joy are hard to come by these days.
Somehow, we have to find some balance in our lives. I think, especially at this time of the year, we seem to lose our balance because we find ourselves focusing on the negative instead of the positive, the suffering instead of the healing, and the sadness instead of the joy. But today, we are called to rejoice and be happy. But how?
St. Paul spells this out for us in the second reading with his series of directives that really sums up how we can live with joy and happiness every day. I want to focus on his first three: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in all circumstances give thanks.
Rejoice always. In the first reading, Isaiah is addressing the Israelites who have just come out of exile. Their temple was destroyed, they were taken away from their promised land, and they were taunted and humiliated by the Babylonians. They felt like God had abandoned them. (Sound familiar?) But Isaiah tells them that God’s vindication will shine forth: the poor will receive glad tidings, the brokenhearted will be healed, and those held captive will be freed. God’s generosity, justice, and peace can and will be found in the face of sorrow. Hearing this caused the Israelites to rejoice.
We too must find that joy within us every day. How do we find it? A good start is by dying to self. When I focus on me, everything according to me, and all that is happening to me (all my struggles, hardships, woes, etc.), it’s really easy to miss the joy that God is offering.
Imagine if you were driving your car while looking through a pair of binoculars. (Don’t try this!) If our vision is too far forward, or if it’s too narrow, we’d completely miss the broad perspective of what God is doing around us. But when we look through the eyes of faith and take our focus off of the things that trouble us, or stress us out, or weigh us down, it allows us to experience true joy even when bad things happen.
There is no better way to beat the blues than to change our focus from ourselves to God. Because it is impossible to be grumpy when we are rejoicing and praising the Lord. (Try it. It can’t be done!)
Despite all the things that are not going according to ‘our’ plan, we must find a way to always rejoice. Rejoicing relieves our anxieties and despairs and relaxes our fears. It clears our vision to see beyond our trials. We love God more. We enjoy God’s presence more. And it opens our hearts to receive more of God’s love.
Pray without ceasing. This means to live our lives in communion with God and to be fully aware of God’s presence in every moment of our lives. The question is: do we recognize Jesus throughout our day?
In the Gospel, John the Baptist is directing us to the light. He was not the light, but he’s there to point us toward the light. Let me give a visual example. A candle in a dark room doesn’t draw attention to itself. Rather, the light that comes from that candle allows us to see what’s around us. That’s what John the Baptist does: he points us to the One who is the light – the One who will show us the way. And we will come to recognize that light of Jesus when we pray.
Prayer is our awareness of the divine presence in our lives and our response to God’s never-ending efforts to reach our hearts. If prayer were simply talking to God, the only way to pray without ceasing would be for us to do all the talking. But no relationship can survive if only one person is constantly talking. (Think of your spouse or anyone with whom you have a close relationship.) Likewise, in prayer, we cannot do all the talking but must also listen in order to recognize and respond to God’s presence.
Prayer without ceasing doesn’t mean just on Sunday at church, or at the beginning or end of the day, or only in times of crisis or despair. Prayer without ceasing calls for us to live each day knowing that God is right there with us in the messiness of our lives.
In all circumstances give thanks. My mother-in-law has a sign hanging in her kitchen that reads, “There is always something to be thankful for.” For some reason at Thanksgiving, it really hit home for me. Here’s the thing: no matter what hardships or struggles we encounter, there is always something good that we can find within them. Whatever challenging situation we’re in, there are lessons to be learned and opportunities to find gratefulness. Perhaps that involves recognizing the gift of life, the relationships that shape our lives, the beauty and peace of nature, or the simple fact of knowing that we are loved by God. If you walk away with just one thing from my homily today, it’s this: God loves you unconditionally – and that alone is a reason to give thanks.
My sisters and brothers, we need to look beyond our circumstances and envision what God has promised us. All of us will experience pain and suffering from time to time, but if we want to find true happiness in life, we must rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in all circumstances give thanks.
My prayer on this Gaudete Sunday is that all of us are filled with so much joy and happiness that it bursts out of our very beings so that we can share it with those around us. So, rejoice, and…
If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen. (Amen)
If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen. (Amen)
If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it shout Amen. (Amen)
Feeling a bit unbalanced? Don’t miss this blog post.
