3rd Sunday in Advent

This homily is based, not on the gospel assigned to this Sunday, but on the two other texts, Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11, and Thessalonians 5:16-24.

While I was away in October I read the story of twelve-year-old Matt Stepanek who knows what it is to be joyous and happy despite the fact that he is confined to a wheelchair, and a ventilator in order to breathe. He says in the interview: “I have a song, deep in my heart, and only I can hear it. If I close my eyes and sit very still it is easy to listen to song. Everyone in the whole wide world has a special heart-song. If you believe in magical, musical hearts, and if you believe you can be happy, then you, too, will hear your song.”

It’s a similar joy that Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke of when, at the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa, he exclaimed: “I want to sing! I want to cry! I want to laugh! And the day has arrived! Yippee!!!”

But the joy we’re speaking of here is not the same as pleasure.

In 1835, an Italian psychiatrist had a new patient who was suffering from chronic anxiety and depression. The patient had contemplated suicide and was coming to the doctor as a last hope of recovering from his depression. An examination showed that the patient was in excellent physical condition. What he needed, the doctor decided, was to learn to laugh again. Performing that evening was a circus clown named Grimaldi, renowned for his ability to make people laugh. “You must go,” the doctor said, “Grimaldi is the world’s most famous clown. He will surely be able to make you laugh again.” The depressed client replied, “No, he cannot cure me. You see, I am Grimaldi.”

We tend to think that if we feel happy, we are happy. And if we don’t feel happy, we think we’re not. Happiness is not the same as pleasure. Pleasure is a transitory delight; happiness is a more enduring peace. Many people who are truly happy have very limited pleasure in their lives. Similarly, many of those who have the most pleasurable lifestyles are far from happy. Even suffering can be part of happiness.

Paul tells us that God’s will is that we rejoice always. We need not pursue happiness as a goal. We may rest joyfully in the assurance of God’s care. John the Baptist can be our example. He was hungry, shabbily dressed and scorned, but he had a deep joy in his heart because he knew the Messiah was near. John teaches us the key to joy: Quell our immediate desires and look beyond them to the coming Saviour. Place all our hope in the Messiah, who will fulfil our deepest longings.

This is what we’re doing on this Third Sunday of Advent, then. We’re preparing the way of the Lord, as did John the Baptist. We’re confessing our sins to that end, and in expectation of the coming of our Lord, we are already rejoicing — as Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” Soon we will celebrate the birthday of our King!