As you might guess, there are times when the life of an Archbishop is not easy. Occasions arise when I have to make difficult and painful decisions, or confront situations I would rather avoid. One such occasion occurred just the other week. I knew it would not be pleasant and, to be honest, was rather anxious about it. But I knew I couldn’t avoid it. So, when the time came, I said my prayers, steeled myself, and with full reliance upon the Lord Jesus and the help of the Blessed Virgin, I went to the West Edmonton Mall.
The experience is not for the faint of heart. But the Lord was with me. Praise Jesus! I went online to look at the mall map and locate the entrance nearest to the store I needed to visit. I went in my car to that exact entrance and then – a miracle! – I found a parking spot. Then I entered the mall, discovered the store, found what I needed, and went to the cashier, where there was no line up – yes, another miracle. I made the purchase, made fast my escape, and soon found myself exiting the parking lot with songs of Alleluia echoing in my heart.
Now, as I drove away and the sight of the mall faded in my rear view mirror, some images from that harrowing experience came to the fore: the sight of many tired, worn down and frustrated people. Those images have remained with me. At this time of the year, one does not need to be long in that – or any – mall in order to witness a lot of exhaustion and burden. The question arises: are we having fun yet? These days of anticipation in the immediate run up to Christmas are supposed to be – one would expect – times of excitement and joy. In their stead, though, we see, and perhaps we are experiencing for ourselves, anxiety, burnout and distraction.
The question beneath all of this is: where do I locate the source of joy? Real joy. A joy that persists even in the midst of hardship. It is this very question that is addressed by the Scripture readings for the Third Sunday of Advent. By tradition we refer to this as Gaudete Sunday. That Latin word means “Rejoice!” The passages call us to rejoice and at the same time point us to the wellspring of true joy: Jesus Christ. The mall experience suggests that many are looking for joy in consumerism, but are clearly not finding it there. The Word of God points us elsewhere, far away from all of that superficial glitz and glitter that doesn’t satisfy. It points us to Jesus.
Long ago Isaiah spoke a prophecy of liberation (cf. 61: 1-2a, 10-11), which in the Gospel of Luke Jesus applies to himself (cf. Luke 4: 16-21). St. Paul summons us to joy by recalling the steadfast fidelity of God revealed and active in Christ Jesus (cf. 1Thess 5: 16-24). Saint John the Baptist witnesses to Jesus as the Light that dispels all darkness (cf. John 1: 6-8, 19-28). Jesus – and only Jesus – frees us from captivity, stands steadfastly by us in the circumstances of life, and dispels the darkness of sin and despair by the light of his truth and love. Look no further for joy. It is found in Jesus, and he is very near.
