Rejoice in the Lord Always

Today, on this fourth Sunday of Advent, we're offered a special olive branch of life and renewal. The Latin phrase "Gaudete in Domino semper" reminds us to "Rejoice in the Lord always." Our focus is on the joy that comes from being aware of Jesus' presence within us, even in difficult times.
Let's reflect on the acronym "JOY." The "J" stands for Jesus, encouraging us to prioritize Him in our lives. The "O" stands for others meaning that in whatever we do others will come second in priority reminding us to consider their needs. Finally, the "Y" symbolizes "you," meaning in the hierarchy of priority you come last. This emphasizes the importance of humility.
Alternatively, "JOY" can also mean "Jesus Oriented Youth" or "Jesus Only You." These interpretations inspire us to focus on Jesus and see Him in every situation. Pope Francis once said that “the closer the Lord is to us, the more joy we feel; the farther away he is, the more sadness we feel”.
In this Advent season, let's remember the gifts Jesus offers us: hope, peace, joy, and love. The desire for joy and happiness is universal, but it often seems elusive. As Fr. Anthony de Mello said, "We have everything we need here and now to be happy. The problem is that we identify our happiness with people or things we don’t have and often can’t have.”
The coming of Jesus at Christmas offers us total transformation for our holistic wellbeing. God's presence in our world gives us a reason to rejoice and relate kindly to those around us. A joy shared is a joy well possessed. The journey of joy requires discipline, persistence, and hard work. The first condition necessary for Christian joy is to focus less on one's self and to put Jesus at the center of everything. John the Baptist is a good example in this regard. He left everything, from a young age, to put God first, to listen to his Word with all his heart and all his strength. He withdrew into the desert depriving himself of everything superfluous, to be freer to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He derived great joy not in drawing others to himself but by always pointing to "the One who was to come."
Similarly our Blessed lady derived great joy in pointing the disciples to the Lord when she said “Do whatever He tells you”. Dear friends this rejoicing Sunday offers us great opportunity to get our priorities right following the example of John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Rejoice now, because God's love is perfect, even when our lives aren't. Whether you're navigating life's struggles or celebrating Christmas, God is near, saying, "I've got this, and I've got you."
In conclusion, let us remember the true meaning of JOY: J- Jesus is the reason for our joy. O - Others are the recipients of our joy. Y - You are called to share joy with others.
May we carry this JOY with us throughout the Advent season and beyond.

Blessings