Called to be Joyful and Happy!

Third Sunday of Advent 09

(Gaudete Sunday)

“Called to be Joyful & Happy”

Introduction

Don’t panic we have 12 more sleeps to go before Christmas!

The Rose candle in our advent wreath and Rose vestment I am wearing today indicates our deep joy for the coming birth of our Saviour. The liturgical colour Rose we have today, the sign of our joy, also confront us with these questions as we journey through this advent season:

Are you really happy in your life today? Is there joy in your life? Are you still searching for joy and peace? What is the source of your joy? Is the nearness of Christmas causes you some deep joy or it’s the opposite? Or maybe you are too busy that you didn’t have the time to even think about it?

Joy vs Happiness

Have you ever wonder the difference between joy and happiness? At first glance, joy and happiness may seem similar but, really, they are quite different.

HAPPINESS, according to the Oxford English dictionary, is based on luck or good fortune. JOY on the other hand, is described as extreme gladness or a vivid emotion of pleasure.

HAPPINESS depends on circumstance; JOY, on our emotional well-being. We may feel absolutely happy if we win the lottery, but we feel joy when there is peace within us or in our family and loved ones.

HAPPINESS mostly depends on something that is passing. For instance I am happy with my new watch which I just bought the other day; I wear it when I sleep. I wear it when I go for shower. I wear it all the time. But after a while, when I get used to my watch, when it's no longer new, would I still be happy? Maybe I will be a new one.

Happiness is fleeting. More often happiness expires. As soon as the object of what makes us happy is gone then you are no longer happy.

Happiness is most of the time is self-centered. I want this want this. This is mine. I deserved this toy, I want this car, this house and I deserved that. I deserve want to be happy. Nothing wrong with that. But notice the word happiness has “I” is the center. “I am” the center of the universe.

Last year I went to see this great musical called “Miss Saigon.” It’s about a love story between American soldier and a Vietnamese bar girl during the Vietnam War. After the show, I had the chance to talk with the main actress who is a Filipina but based in America. She is very pretty, charming and friendly. Maybe because I forgot to tell her I am a priest.

After that fateful conversation, I was held up by a group of Filipinas who looked very excited, I thought I knew them from the church so I smiled to be friendly. I was surprised they were asking for my autograph and would take picture with me! They thought I was one of the actors from Miss Saigon. I felt really popular. But it wasn’t long before they realised I was only an audience like them. It was my 30 second experience of FAME!

It was a good feeling though, unfortunately I didn’t last long.

JOY as a state of mind that does not depend on worldly things such as popularity, beauty, money, or longer holidays. JOY is always a part of who we are and how we view the world. A JOYFUL person doesn’t need to have a supermodel body to be joyful.

JOY to Discover

Joy is something we discover within us. We feel joy when we appreciate life, when we recognize our freedom, and when we dwell on our successful relationships with other people; ULTIMATELY we feel JOY when we have faith in something larger than ourselves.

There is JOY when we know that there is God who is not distant, but already in our midst. We REJOICE in the presence of God who can bring us peace, harmony and unity despite tension around us, financial or health problem. The JOY we find in God is our ADVENT JOY!

There is nothing wrong to be happy, God wants us to be happy, but we need to balance our priority: Would you search for happiness or would you invest your time in searching for joy?

Scripture message

The Scripture readings invite us all to welcome God in our life if we want to be a JOYFUL person. In the first Reading, Prophet Zephaniah announces, “Shout for joy...sing joyfully...be glad and exult with all your heart.” St. Paul writes to the Philippians, telling them,(us) to “rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!”

In the Gospel, John the Baptist humbly points us to the ONE Person who alone can give us lasting JOY – that is JESUS. JESUS is the Source of our Joy.

The word JOY itself give us the key to find joy in our life. JOY (JESUS, OTHERS, YOU). To love Jesus first, to Love others second, to love Yourself last.

Let us use these remaining days before Christmas as a time of revival and renewal of our faith and love to JESUS, so that Christmas will be a time of DEEP JOY.

They say, there are three levels of Christmas: The commercial level, the survival level, and the spiritual level. May we all be fulfilled on these three! However, let us prioritize. Let us start with the spiritual level.

It can be a real tragedy, with all the glittering Christmas lights around us, to miss the true Light, the source of our JOY – only Jesus, always Jesus, forever Jesus.

Prayer

"Lord Jesus, help us not only to find joy

but also to be a faithful witness of the joy of the gospel

and during this Christmas

help us to point others to you

as John did through his testimony."

Amen.