The Pink Candle Memo
What would happen if Gallup took a poll and asked Americans, "What's the first thing you think of when you think of Catholics?" What do you think the response would be? I can tell you what I would like the response to be. One word, joy. Wouldn't it be great if the first thing that popped into people's minds in the United States when they thought of you and me was, "Those are some seriously joyful people. I don't know if I like them or agree with them, but you can't deny those people have got some joy." Joy. It's so important to Advent, it even has its own color. The rose-colored candle for joy. Third Sunday of Advent. Gaudete Sunday. Rejoice! I don't want you to miss it. Have you ever noticed that Christmas is bubbling over with joy? Well, evidently a lot of us have missed that news because Catholics are not always associated with joy. More often than not, people think of us with long faces, furrowed brows, somber looks. But everywhere you turn, Christmas is bubbling over with joy from the very start. Zechariah, fulfilling his task as a priest in Luke: 1 in the temple, an angel appears, says, "You and Elizabeth are going to have a son, and you're going to name him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth." Elizabeth, in Luke: 1, receives a visit from her cousin Mary, who has conceived Jesus. And when Mary arrives, the baby leaps in Elizabeth's womb for joy.
Luke: 2. Angels have the wonderful task of sharing the good news of Jesus' birth. God arrives with the shepherds and says, "I bring you good news of a great joy for all people." And then best of all, in Matthew: 2, with the Wise Men, they arrive on the scene, they discover Jesus, and when they see the star, they rejoice with exceeding great joy. That's a lot of joy. Joy is everywhere. Christmas is dripping with it. Joy, a lively emotion of happiness. Anything which causes delight. Festivity, exhilarating, ravish, triumph. Says it all. Joy is overwhelming, and Christmas joy reigns supreme.
So today is Gaudete Sunday, a simple reminder that Christmas - Jesus Christ - are all about joy. Jesus brings a great joy. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.” Shout it from the rooftop. Whisper it to a friend. Joy sustains you in the highest moments, perhaps at the birth of a new son or in your darkest moments of despair. We know the Lord, and nothing can change that or remove that. We have a joy that is inextinguishable. Joy is at the center of God's heart. Joy has its own Advent candle. Joy makes us different because we have a joy that the world really doesn't understand.
Oswald Goulter understood that. Oswald was a missionary to China many, many years ago, and on his way back to the United States for furlough during World War II, his sponsoring agency gave him a ticket to get home. He arrived in the Port of India in Mumbai on his way. And he found that there were large groups of Jews being housed on boats there in the waters outside the city to protect their lives because Jews couldn't land anywhere; they weren't welcome. They weren't accepted anywhere at the time. So, Oswald went to see them. And he walked on one of the boats, and he said, "Merry Christmas." And they said, "We're Jewish." He said, "I know, but it's Christmas. Merry Christmas. What do you want for Christmas?" They said, "We're Jewish." He said, "I know, I know. But what would you like for Christmas? Merry Christmas." And they said, "Don't you understand? We are Jewish." He said, "Merry Christmas. What do you want for Christmas?" So finally, to get rid of this nuisance of a guy they said, "You know what would be great? Some German pastry, that'd be great." So, Oswald goes, and he scours the city of Mumbai until he finds a bakery that makes German pastry. He sells his ticket to go home and uses the money to purchase pastry. He goes back to the boat, and he generously shares it with him. Years later, he was speaking about that experience to a group that was supporting him, and a very prim and proper member of the congregation stood and said, "Why did you do that? They don't even believe in Jesus." And Oswald said, "I know, but I do."
Christmas isn't so much about changing the world, changing other people. Christmas is really about God changing you. It's about Jesus. There is no greater joy than Jesus. If you want to raise your joy a little, here's two simple ways to grow in joy this week. Number one, make a list of your favorite things about God, and spend a little time praying, giving thanks for those attributes and characteristics that you love about God, and sense a deep joy in knowing it. Secondly, look at the words to the hymn Joy to the World. Recite them out loud. Sing them if you like. Share them with a friend or your family. Pray over those words, and reflect on them all week long. Joy to the world. The Lord is come.
