Beloved in Christ,
Why am I in a rose-colored vestment today? In Catholic liturgy, the rose color vestments indicate the spirit of joy. Today is Gaudate Sunday- rejoicing Sunday! Why have we suddenly switched from violet to rose during the Advent season? We rejoice because the Lord is near. The one whose coming we have been preparing is close to us, and we must be joyful. St. Paul is emphatic on this call for rejoicing: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4). Paul encourages us to be joyful, and I echo him, be joyful! We can relax the restraints and discipline of Advent for a while and allow the presence of Jesus to fill us with unending and enduring joy- even while we experience sadness and suffering. Our pains and sorrows never overshadow the joy of Christ because the closeness of Jesus empowers us to endure and live through any tragic or unpleasant experiences we may be going through.
Advent is a season of happiness and hope. If Jesus is near us, if we draw closer to him, he will fill us with Joy beyond our understanding. The Christian joy is what Paul preached in his epistle to Christians in Philippi in 4:4. We only find ourselves unhappy by choosing to be separated from Jesus. What takes us away from Jesus? Sin and spiritual laziness. The answer to the absence of Jesus' joy in our life is to make immediate recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation once we fall into mortal sin and a vibrant life of prayer. If we remain in a state of grace and keep a vibrant prayer life, ours will be a life of "joyful mysteries." A holy and blameless life before God made possible by a constant prayer relationship with God keeps us joyful. Grace and prayer are signs of the nearness of Jesus to us. When Jesus is close to us, we will be joyful.
Mary accepted Jesus into her life and found joy, as expressed in the Magnificat. John the Baptist leaped joyfully in his mother's womb when he felt Jesus's nearness. The angels announced the good news of great joy to the shepherd because of the birth of Jesus. These are examples of finding joy in Jesus's nearness to us. We find joy when we have Jesus; we become unhappy when we lose him. To have Jesus always is to be joyful. With St Paul, I say to you again, rejoice, the Lord is near.
The Advent season is coming close to an end. Let us begin to anticipate the joy of Christmas. The preparation continues in prayers and acts of charity. We hit the peak of our preparation for Christmas at St. Peter with our Advent retreat with the International Irish Tenor, Mark Forest, which will be held tomorrow, Monday, at 7 p.m. Make plans to attend this spirit-filled hour of prayer and praise of Jesus present in the Eucharist. We will find joy in the presence of Jesus. We should not expect to find true happiness if we remain constantly away from Jesus' presence. Come close to Jesus and find joy.
With Joy,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
Why am I in a rose-colored vestment today? In Catholic liturgy, the rose color vestments indicate the spirit of joy. Today is Gaudate Sunday- rejoicing Sunday! Why have we suddenly switched from violet to rose during the Advent season? We rejoice because the Lord is near. The one whose coming we have been preparing is close to us, and we must be joyful. St. Paul is emphatic on this call for rejoicing: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4). Paul encourages us to be joyful, and I echo him, be joyful! We can relax the restraints and discipline of Advent for a while and allow the presence of Jesus to fill us with unending and enduring joy- even while we experience sadness and suffering. Our pains and sorrows never overshadow the joy of Christ because the closeness of Jesus empowers us to endure and live through any tragic or unpleasant experiences we may be going through.
Advent is a season of happiness and hope. If Jesus is near us, if we draw closer to him, he will fill us with Joy beyond our understanding. The Christian joy is what Paul preached in his epistle to Christians in Philippi in 4:4. We only find ourselves unhappy by choosing to be separated from Jesus. What takes us away from Jesus? Sin and spiritual laziness. The answer to the absence of Jesus' joy in our life is to make immediate recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation once we fall into mortal sin and a vibrant life of prayer. If we remain in a state of grace and keep a vibrant prayer life, ours will be a life of "joyful mysteries." A holy and blameless life before God made possible by a constant prayer relationship with God keeps us joyful. Grace and prayer are signs of the nearness of Jesus to us. When Jesus is close to us, we will be joyful.
Mary accepted Jesus into her life and found joy, as expressed in the Magnificat. John the Baptist leaped joyfully in his mother's womb when he felt Jesus's nearness. The angels announced the good news of great joy to the shepherd because of the birth of Jesus. These are examples of finding joy in Jesus's nearness to us. We find joy when we have Jesus; we become unhappy when we lose him. To have Jesus always is to be joyful. With St Paul, I say to you again, rejoice, the Lord is near.
The Advent season is coming close to an end. Let us begin to anticipate the joy of Christmas. The preparation continues in prayers and acts of charity. We hit the peak of our preparation for Christmas at St. Peter with our Advent retreat with the International Irish Tenor, Mark Forest, which will be held tomorrow, Monday, at 7 p.m. Make plans to attend this spirit-filled hour of prayer and praise of Jesus present in the Eucharist. We will find joy in the presence of Jesus. We should not expect to find true happiness if we remain constantly away from Jesus' presence. Come close to Jesus and find joy.
With Joy,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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