Rejoice!

Gaudete Sunday – it’s a a time for joy and rejoicing.

Ironically, it can be difficult to feel joy. This is one of the busiest times of the year, where we’re consumed by shopping, parties, and even just the number of celebrations and festivities going on at our local parish. It can feel overwhelming and thus the joy is extinguished, lost – like the blowing of the Advent candles for the evening.

It is imperative that we – I – rejoice even when we don’t feel like it. It’s a powerful testament to what we ought to do rather than allowing our feelings be dictators of our daily lives. Living out a Catholic life is never meant to be easy – it should be hard at times (if not, we’re doing it wrong). There will be sacrifies of time, money and energy because our parishes need support and we need to teach our children (and often spouses/relatives/friends) the faith. Never a picnic. What I find most assuring is that I don’t need to rely on my feelings to tell me how I’m doing. For example, if I give a good confession, yet perhaps don’t feel forgiven, that is not a concern. Why’s that? Well, as long as the priest gives us valid absolution after our confession, we are forgiven. End of story, regardless how we feel after leaving the confessional.

Therefore let us rejoice knowing we have the hope of Christ coming in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow we celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Gaudalupe – another reminder of the richness and beauty of our teachings and Traditions that are light in the perpetual darkness.