Sunday Readings in Brief
3rd Sunday of Advent Year B
Isa 61:1-2.10-11; Ps Lk 1; 1Thes 5:15-24; Jn 1:6-8.19-28
True Joy/Happiness
My dear friends, today is the third Sunday of Advent and the theme is “Happiness”. Today we light the third pink candle on the advent wreath that signifies joy because Christmas is around the corner. St. Paul in the first letter to Thessalonians is inviting us to rejoice in the Lord always. However, the question is, Do we really know what happiness is? The people of Israel rejoiced at the announcement of the coming of their saviour because they had experienced a lot of suffering at the hands of foreigners for too long. Prophet Isaiah portrays the Christ who was to come as one who would bring good tidings to the people who were suffering. Take for example a poor person who has been battling in court for years trying to get justice and recover his or her piece of land that was grabbed by a rich private developer. What a joy to this poor person when the verdict turns in his or her favour. It is always a great joy to recover what was lost. In Luke 15, Jesus gives three parables of happy conclusion after what was lost is finally found, that is, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.
Happiness can be defined as a state of well-being consciously experienced by a person. It is a state of blessedness. In Mathew 5:3-12, Jesus enumerates nine kinds of people who will achieve happiness at the end of the day. He begins “Happy/blessed are…”. I you experiencing happiness in your life right now?
In the responsorial psalm today, we see Mary rejoicing at what the angel had told her. The Good News of the birth of the saviour. She sings the famous Magnificent. We too are rejoicing because the saviour will be reborn in our hearts. However, we need to answer the question; do we really understand what true happiness is? Does the news of the coming saviour bring true joy to me?
Looking at our own behaviour and that of those around us, we can generally say that everyone is in pursuit of happiness. People look for happiness in many places and in various ways. Some feel that if they become wealthy, they will be happy, others feel that if they get into positions of power and influence their happiness will be guaranteed, still, others feel that their happiness comes from doing certain things. Some are convinced that their happiness comes from serving God and humanity. What gives you true happiness?
However, happiness has proven to be very slippery for both the poor and the rich. Wealth, power, and worldly things have failed to give anyone true happiness. Some families have all the material wealth one could wish for and are in powerful positions, but they have never been happy. Parents are fighting, or divorced and children are torn in between, they don’t pray or eat together, they don’t get sleep for fear of being attacked, etc. Many poor families are always fighting because they blame each other for their misery. No one seems to find the solution because they don’t work. They turn to witchcraft or spend most of their time moving from one prophet to another, from one prayer center to another. Is my family a happy one?
Maybe it is because we either do not know where to look for true happiness or we are misled. Happiness is not something we can take and put on as we do with clothes. It is a state of well-being that is experienced deep within us and that radiates to our surroundings. We cannot fake happiness. If we want to be happy, we need to invest in what brings it. We need to heed the advice of John the Baptist “straighten the way of the Lord”. We cannot have crooked ways and expect to be happy. Corrupt leaders cannot expect to find happiness. Lazy persons will not be happy because poverty will move in with them. If we violate God’s commandment; happiness will run away from us. However, if we have Christ dwelling in us, we will be happy. Jesus preaches to us the Kingdom of God, which is characterized by Justice, peace, and joy in the heart.
Happiness is social and it is as contagious as sadness is. No one can be happy when those around him are sad. If we really want to be happy, we need to invest in the happiness of those around us. There is a refrain in Spanish that says, “Compartida la vida es mas” which literally means, “When shared life is more”.
My dear friends, today I invite us to reflect upon our concept of happiness and where we look for it. Are we making proper investments for happiness in our lives and our families? Is Christmas a cause of happiness for me and my family?
Have a happy Sunday
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 