Rejoice! The Lord is
coming! Our theme for the third week of
Advent is joy. We take a break from the
violet, more subdued theme of the rest of the season, and celebrate in rose, by
lighting the rose candle and, if the parish has them, by the priest wearing
rose vestments. We are rapidly
approaching Christmas. It’s time to get
excited!
I liken this time of year to the feeling of anticipation I
get when arriving at a final destination or coming home after a long road
trip. For many, many years, my family
made yearly road trips to Southern California to visit family members
there. I recall the feeling of joyful
impatience when we would reach the city limits and I could start counting down
the exits until we would be at my grandmother’s house. And, when we returned home after a long time
away, it was a similar feeling when we got closer to home. I just wanted to get there already!
It is, of course, important to take journeys, whether actual
or figurative, in our lives. The process
of getting somewhere gives us an opportunity to grow. But, imagine if we took absolutely no
pleasure in the act of getting from point A to point B. What would our lives be like then? It would be a nearly unbearable slog from one
thing or place to another.
So, this week, reflect on the things in your life that bring
you joy. What are you looking forward to
in the not so distant future? What do
you have to be grateful for? Thank God
for this opportunity to wait joyfully for the good things to come.
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