Sign Posts on the Way

It was Rejoice Sunday in Advent years ago, and the homily filled me with joy.  The day felt alive with sunshine and warmth---until the winds came, followed by snow and darkness.  Hope for a mild winter season, like my expectations, was dashed.

This third Sunday of Advent which we just celebrated also calls us to “Shout for joy! Rejoice in the Lord always! Have no anxiety!”   Yet joy feels fragile against the weight of the world—wars rage, famine spreads, divisions deepen. How do we hold onto joy in such darkness?

We rejoice not because the world is at peace but because Christ has already come. He is our peace, even in turmoil. God’s reign buds persistently in every act of resilience, goodness, and hope. Joy is not the absence of winter but the conviction that spring will come. Christmas and Easter are joined.

Be watchful. Stay hopeful. Rejoice! Come, Lord Jesus!