1
*Third Sunday of Advent, Year B December 14, 2014
Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola
Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J.
Last winter, the University produced a video entitled "Boston College Happy"
featuring 140 students, faculty and staff lips-synching Pharrell Williams' hit
"Happy" while dancing around in 32 campus locations. The video went viral on
Youtube. A few weeks after it went live, I ran into a BC Alum who saw this video of
blissfully happy dancing people and asked me, "What are you guys putting into the
water supply up there in Chestnut Hill?" I don't want to come across as a grumpy
old Jesuit -- God knows I've had to put up with enough of them over the years. I
enjoyed the video, but it can give the impression that all of us here in the BC bubble
lived charmed lives every day. Of course we know that's not true here; we know it's
not true anywhere.
Sometimes, I think, we confuse happiness and joy. They are related, for sure,
but not the same thing. Our own Michael Himes helps us understand the distinction.
“Happiness comes from without and often depends on physical well-being, the
weather, or just a good meal. Joy comes from within and has to do with a deep sense
of the rightness, the goodness, the fruitfulness of what you do with your life." It is
the latter form of contentment that the church asks us to reflect upon today. It is
Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, “gaudete” being the Latin word for
“rejoice.” You’ll notice a slight change of Advent tone today -- we lit the pink candle
and you may have noticed the color of my vestments. I thought that they were pink,
but I was told that they are really dusty rose. If you ever wondered what dusty rose
looks like, here it is. Anyway, in the midst of our Advent reflection on the world’s
neediness, we are reminded that even in the midst of sadness and sorrow, even if
the world is far from the kingdom that Christ came to proclaim, we are to be joyful.
In the sacristy of the Chapel of the Carmelite monastery in Danvers there is a framed
poster that reads: "Joy is not the absence of sorrow, but the presence of God.”
Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words “happy” and
“happiness” about 30 times, while “joy” and “rejoice” appear over 300 times. Today
in the first reading we hear Isaiah proclaim, “I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my
God is the joy of my soul.” The response to the reading today is not a psalm but,
rather, a rendition of Mary's Magnificat in the first chapter of Luke's gospel – “my
soul rejoices in God my Savior.” And in the epistle, St. Paul tells the Thessalonians to
rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances. What does all this mean for
us, Catholic Christians gathered on this third Sunday of Advent?
Let me share with you a brief story that might be relevant. About a decade
ago, Sr. Mary Boys, who was then a member of our theology faculty, invited me to
join in a Lilly Foundation sponsored seminar consisting of Jewish educators and
Catholic educators. During one of our gatherings, a rabbi said something that has
always stayed with me. He gave the rationale for the growth of Jewish day schools in
many parts of the country. "… because it is such a tragedy to have a young Jew grow
up without knowing the joy of a Jewish way of life." I spend a lot of time talking to
Catholic educators all around the country and I often tell them what this Rabbi said.
2
I then ask, "Do we maintain Catholic schools because it is such a tragedy to have a
young Catholic grow up without knowing the joy of the Catholic way of life." Almost
inevitably, in the conversation that ensues, several people say to me, "Joy?
Catholicism? How do joy and Catholicism go together?" In fact, sadly, for many
people, there is precious little joy in Catholicism, a religion of negativity: "no,” "not,”
"forbidden," "invalid," "illicit.” I'm not recounting the story to convince people of the
value of Catholic schools-though I think Catholic schools are vital ministry of the
church. I'm recounting the story because it helps us think about where we are in our
Advent journey. And perhaps good Pope Francis is helping the world see that there
is something joyful about her religious faith.
In the midst of all the crazy busy-ness of these days: for those of you
cramming to get papers done, for those of us exhausted at the very thought of
having to read and comment on them, for all of us hopping from one holiday event
to the next, for the cards that need to be written, for traffic jams and near-death
experiences in shopping mall parking lots, I have a recommendation. Carve out
some time, block out the noise, and ask yourself several sets of important questions:
1. When all is said and done, what really gives you joy, not just happiness?
Whatever that is – pay attention to it. Let that joy feed your dreams and
shape your priorities.
2. Given the fact that you are actually here in a Catholic church, which can make
challenging demands because discipleship often entails sacrifice and
selflessness, how do you understand and embrace the joy of a Catholic way of
life, a way of life that, sadly, so many have left behind?
3. And lastly, how can you bring the joy in your life and the joy of a Catholic way
of life to world that is far too often tainted by cynicism and burdened by
sadness? How can you, like John the Baptist in today's gospel, testify to the
light in the midst of darkness? How can you, like John the Baptist, be a voice
in the desert, making straight the way of the Lord?