I rejoice in the Lord

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). On this third Sunday of Advent that we call Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice in great anticipation for the certainty of Jesus Christ’s coming. Indeed, the source of our great joy is the nearness of Christ. For us Christians, “joy is a serious business” (Chesterton) because it’s the very life of the Holy Trinity that is being made available for us here on earth. It happens in Jesus Christ’s coming. He brings heaven to earth. He brings God to man. That happens every day when we attend the Holy Eucharist and receive the Holy Communion. That also happens during those times when we are absolved from our sins when we go to the Sacrament of Confession. Christ is coming in many different ways. There is no reason to be sad. Just let him come into your life, and surely you will rejoice!