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Eucharist in the Time of Corona
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December 12, 2021The Third Sunday of Advent, midway point to the Season of the Incarnation, is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday: the Sunday of Joy. Pink is the colour of the day. “[I]f giggles had a colour, it would be pink,” writes Kay Smith. [1] “[P]ink symbolizes youth … and playfulness.”Joy rings out in Zephaniah’s prophetic message of restoration. The psalm invites a shout of exuberant joy. Paul not only counsels us to be joyful, he practically demands it.But, what is joy?Kay Warren, author of Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn’t Enough , says: “Happiness is completely connected to what’s happening to us on the external circumstances of our lives … If joy is only tied to our external circumstances we’re all lost … “[joy is] the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, [it is] the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and [I make] the determined choice to praise him in all things” [2]Isn’t this just what the Apostle wrote to his friends in Ancient Philippi? Listen: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”Let’s paraphrase this: “Don’t be anxious. Make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. Be thankful!”But just a minute! Listen to the anxious litany: “Christmas is thirteen days away! The cards haven’t been mailed; the gifts haven’t been bought; the tree hasn’t been put up; the baking hasn’t been done; the groceries haven’t been bought …” We can’t deny our anxiety. It’s very real – real for all of us!Someone once asked: “What does Advent feel like?”Well, Advent feels like waking up at ten minutes to seven just as the darkness begins to fade to grey, and the sun's rays creep among the shadows. The first thoughts of a sleep-drenched mind go to the things that need to be done that day, the people to meet, the chores to do, the things people expect me to accomplish or to do for them. The eyes begin to focus on the shapes emerging from the ether of night; the heart begins to pound; the pulse starts to rise, the muscles ready themselves to leap into action.But then the giggling realization: This isn’t a workday. This is a holiday! I don’t have to go anywhere. I don’t have to do anything. I can just pull the duvet up, lie here, and watch the sun dance across the floor. God is in charge. Everything is going to be just fine! The “Great and Holy One gladly rejoices with me in this moment.This is what Advent feels like!“Rejoice in the Lord always! I shall say it again: REJOICE!”[1] See her website Color Symbolism and Meaning of Pink (https://www.sensationalcolor.com/meaning-of-pink/).