Third Sunday of Advent 
Ode to Joy

“The desert and the parched land will exalt;/the steppe will rejoice and bloom.  
Isaiah 35:1

“The Lord God keeps faith forever, … gives food to the hungry and the Lord sets captives free.  
Psalm 146:7

“Be patient brothers and sisters until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the late rains.”
James 5:7

“What did you go out to the desert to see?” 
Matthew 11:7

---

Today’s Psalm begins with “Hallelujah, praise the Lord my soul.” This is most fitting for Gaudette Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.  Gaudete means “rejoice.”  Why rejoice?  We rejoice on this Sunday of Joy as the third candle called the Shepherd Candle is lit.  The candle reminds us that the birth of Jesus is near. We experience the joy that the shepherds felt when they saw Jesus. 

 Joy is rooted in love and God’s presence.  It is deeply engrained and felt in one’s relationship with God. This relationship is the foundation which does not collapse in times of trouble, dryness, trials or conflicting emotions.  It is a gift from the Holy Spirit. C.S. Lewis described joy as, “a pang and inconsolable longing,” and said, “joy is the serious business of heaven.

On this third Sunday of Advent as we celebrate “Joy,” the church also gives us the mission and message of John the Baptist.  In prison plagued by doubt, contemplating his own death, and longing for the Messiah he ask his followers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one is to come or should we look for another?” Matthew 11:3 Jesus tells his followers that John was indeed the messenger of His coming and a prophet.  John’s joy is now complete. His mission was accomplished and all rejoice as the Messiah has come.  

John the Baptist exemplifies how the spiritual life can at times be like a dry weary dessert. In the cold dark winter nights of December we wait for new life to come.  The steppe mentioned in Isaiah is defined as an area where due to the semi-arid climate and topography nothing can grow but grass.  After the snow melts, the rain comes, and the sun shines the grass grows and wild flowers appear on the landscape. The grass feeds the large grazing animals.  Think of the buffalo roaming on the Great Plains of the Midwest.

The reading from James describes how we like the desert and the steppe are hungry and patiently wait for the rain of grace to produce fruit.  The Lord feeds the hungry.  God’s grace is a gratuitous gift allowing us to share in his divine life and friendship (sanctifying grace) and actual grace which gives us the help we need to combat and fulfill the mission God has given us.  This is the source of our joy and is indeed serious business.  How can we experience joy today, go to the source of life. 

This week, to celebrate joy I suggest listening to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and sing!  Saint Augustine said, “To sing is to pray twice and singing is for the one who loves.”  It took Beethoven over two years to compose the Ninth Symphony and he composed it even though he was deaf. The music and words capture the essence of joy.  

“Ode to Joy” 

1.
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

2.
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

3.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

4.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.