“Rejoice in the Lord always.”
During Advent, we are called to bring joy and happiness to all around us. We know that the Son of God is coming and this brings us great joy. In the first two readings, as well as the Responsorial Psalm, the theme is rejoicing. St. Paul says to “Rejoice always”. [1] The Third Sunday of Advent is called Guadante Sunday. This name comes from the first words of the Introit (Entrance Antiphon) in Latin, “Gaudete in Domino”, “Rejoice in the Lord”.
Why do we have reason to rejoice? The answer of why we are rejoicing is found in the Psalms, “O Lord, thou hast blessed thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.” [2] We are no longer captives. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are now blessed, for our Savior has come. If we look back at the Entrance Antiphons for the First and Second Sundays in Advent we see more reason for rejoicing. The First Sunday of Advent we pray in the Entrance Antiphon, “Unto you have I lifted up my soul, O my God, I trust in You, let me not be put to shame, do not allow my enemies to laugh at me, for none of those who are awaiting you will be disappointed.” [3] We rejoice because we have lifted up our soul to God. We trust in God. We are not ashamed and are protected from enemies. We are not disappointed because we wait on the Lord. The Second Sunday of Advent we pray in the Entrance Antiphon, “People of Zion behold, the Lord is coming to save all the nations, and He will cause you to hear His voice, for the joy of your heart.” [4] We again rejoice because all nations are given salvation, no people or culture is excluded. The First Sunday of Advent we watch, the Second Sunday of Advent we listen as Jesus causes us to hear His voice. In hearing His voice we are filled with joy and rejoice.
How is happiness defined in the lyrics, music and video of this song?
What is happiness? A simple definition is “Any contentment in the possession of a good” [5], but there is a much more profound meaning to happiness for Christians. Happiness for Christians “…implies a state of well-being. Not some single experience, or a relative permanence and constancy. Hence, it is regularly used in Scripture to describe the lot of those who are blessed by God for doing His will, and the reward of the just for their faithful service on earth. Happiness is a divine gift but does require man’s co-operation to be gained.” [6]
When we are happy, we want to share that joy with others, and many times it can be contagious. When we are filled with happiness for God, it is a happiness that burns within us much longer than, say, buying a song, which we get tired of hearing after a few weeks or months.
What does it mean to have Christian happiness? True happiness is essential for all Christians. Christian happiness is a deeper burning happiness than worldly happiness. The world’s happiness often leads to its own loss, especially when someone looks outwardly to bring happiness to himself. Christian happiness, however, finds joy within oneself because they meet God in their soul in grace. This happiness comes from Christ and brings about peace and joy in one's soul. “Only he can give it and preserve it, because the world does not possess its secret.” [7]
What is the difference between worldly happiness and Christian happiness? The world’s happiness is ever fleeting and can leave in times of distress, but Christian happiness can be sustained even in times of great trial or difficulty. This is because we know that we have a God who is looking out for us and wants the best for us. Worldly happiness only seeks to satisfy the individual, where Christian happiness begs to be shared with others. Many things in life bring us happiness, but once they are shared they are gone. A birthday cake might bring us happiness, but once we share it, it is gone, and maybe with it our happiness of having another piece later. This limit of temporal, worldly goods is like worldly happiness; sometimes the happiness is connected to how long we have the temporal good. Saint Catherine Siena says that Christian happiness is like a candle flame, and that once we share it, it does not diminish but instead increases, and in fact increases the more it is shared. The reason Christian happiness does not diminish is because what is being shared is eternal in nature. Virtues, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit for example can all be shared and will never decrease.;The same is true of the Sacraments and the charity found in the Sacraments.
Happiness must have a solid foundation. The world seeks happiness on “changeable circumstances like good news, good health, peace and quiet, enough money to bring up the family comfortably and having all the material possessions we would like. All these things are good in themselves if they do not separate us from God, but they are unable to provide us with real happiness.” [8] The only unchanging thing that can bring us happiness is God. We sustain this happiness when we stay in constant communication with Him in prayer, reading Scripture, going to Mass, going to Confession and seeking spiritual direction.
The world looks to pull itself away from God and thus seems to be getting darker and sadder. Thus, our mission as Christians is to bring happiness into the world. Jesus Christ is the source of happiness and thus to bring Christ is to bring happiness. Happiness can sometimes be so rare that we begin to believe that happiness is unnatural or that happy people are weird. Happiness is natural. Despair is unnatural. “It is natural for man to seek God. All of our striving for truth and happiness is ultimately a search for the one who supports us absolutely, satisfies us absolutely, and employs us absolutely in his service. A person is not completely himself until he has found God. ‘Anyone who seeks truth seeks God, whether or not he realizes it’ (St. Edith Stein).” [9] It was during the Advent that the Wise Men sought truth, and it was not until, on the Epiphany when they found Jesus, who is The Way, The Truth and The Life, that they found happiness and rest from their journey.
Search: What do we seek?
It is natural to seek God. We do not seek what cannot be found. From the beginning of time people and cultures have sought God. This is natural for man. It is unnatural to turn from God, to disbelieve. Not only is this unnatural, but in the end leads to frustration and despair.
How do we share happiness with others? We must bring happiness to all we encounter. “A gloomy soul is at the mercy of many temptations. How many sins have been committed in the shadow of that gloominess! When the soul is happy it spreads its happiness and is an encouragement to others.” [10] Those who are sad and down trodden tend to turn in on themselves.
Saint Augustine coined the term, Incurvatus in se. Incurvatus in se is Latin for, turned or curved inward on oneself. Msgr. E. James Hart gives the analogy of the sunflower. When oriented toward the sun, the sunflower is open and faces the sun, but when the sun is absence the sunflower turns or curves inward on itself. As the sunflower, so too is man. When oriented toward God, man is open and brilliant. God is never absence from man, but when man becomes absence to God, he quickly turns or curves inward on himself. This orientation toward self cannot bring happiness, because man is not the source of happiness. Only an orientation toward God, the source of happiness, the beatific vision, can bring happiness.
Having Christian happiness, we do not look inwardly, but only to those who need to hear of Christ’s joy. We are able to take care of the troubles of others in a gentle and loving way. St. Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” [11] We are able to attract others around us through happiness. Those who are gloomy tend to send a vibe that repels people, while those with joy attract people. We attract people by showing them that we appreciate them, giving a smile, a kind remark, a word of praise, and letting small things go which in the grand scheme of things are unimportant.
The feast day of Saint Andrew, one of the Apostles, is November 30th, sometimes falls during Advent. Prior to meeting Jesus, Saint Andrew was a disciple of Saint John the Baptist. When Saint Andrew finally met Jesus, he was so full of happiness in finding the Messiah that he said to his brother Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah. And he led him to Jesus.” [12] Saint Andrew is a beautiful example to us. It was by following Saint John the Baptist, that he encountered Christ. Then, once he encountered Christ, he shared it with others, first being his brother, Saint Peter, who would go on to be the first Pope and rock of the Church. What if Andrew did not share this happiness of encountering Christ? What would have been Saint Peter’s life without sharing? What happens to others if we don’t share Christ with them? What will their life be without Christ? “After Andrew has stayed with Jesus and had learned much from Him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother.” [13]
We tend to think of the Christmas Season as time to get presents and the Advent Season, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as the time to shop for presents. This is a twisted view of both seasons. Advent is the time, as Saint Andrew did, to “stay with Jesus and learn much from Him” [14], and Christmas is the time to “not keep this treasure to himself” [15] (to our self) but give it like a gift to the world, starting with our families.
Why should we be happy during Advent? “In a few days it will be Christmas, a great feast for us Christians, but also for the whole human race, which, without knowing it, is looking for Christ. Christmas is coming, and God wants us to be joyful, like the shepherds, like the wise men, like Mary and Joseph” [16]
As we get ready for Christmas, let us try “to get ready for the Holy Season by encouraging an atmosphere of Christian peace where we live and work, and by doing all we can in small ways...People need to be convinced that Christ has really been born in Bethlehem, and few things are more convincing than the habitual happiness of the Christian, even in the midst of pain and contradictions.” [17] A great example is Mary, who preparing to bring Jesus in this world. Mary gave birth in the midst of pain and contradictions. Her Son would be called a “sign of contradiction” [18]. In the midst of many hardships and even being refused a place to stay, Mary and her husband Joseph remained charitable. “But these problems did not cause her to lose her joy when God became Man, and dwelt among us.” [19]
[1] 1 Thes 5:16
[2] Ps. 84:8
[3] Ps. 25
[4] cf. Isaiah 30:19, 30
[5] Fr. John Hardon; Modern Catholic Dictionary
[6] Fr. John Hardon; Modern Catholic Dictionary pg. 243
[7]In Conversation with God 1, 15.2
[8] In Conversation with God 1, 15.2
[9] YouCat Section 3
[10] In Conversation with God 1, 15.1
[11] Gal. 6:2
[12] John 1:41-42
[13] Saint John Chrysostom
[14] ibid
[15] ibid
[16] In Conversation with God 1, 15.1
[17] In Conversation with God 1, 15.3
[18] Luke 2:34
[19] In Conversation with God 1, 15.3