< Back to Liturgical Seasons Page

Third Sunday of Advent

~Monsignor Sheehy, December 18th 2008

This particular weekend in Advent has a special note of joyfulness about it. The celebrant of the Mass wears the rose color and flowers may decorate the sanctuary. The third candle on the advent wreath, the pink (rose) one is also lit.

This word joy is such a small little word and yet it describes a reality so vitally important for us. Life is not worth living if there is no joy in our lives. Life is sad, downcast, sometimes painful without joy.

When we have lost our joy, the first thing we should do is to recover it . Find out why we are not filled with joy. I remember Abraham Lincoln’s wonderful saying: “Most people are just about as happy as they male up their minds to be.” Living in self-pity can be a disastrous way of living. Going back over real or imagined hurts, the pain of ill health, disappointments in life, nurturing feelings of “being left out” or “overlooked”, having to endure a handicap, comparing one’s talents with others who seem to have been given far more - the list goes on. Sadly, it’s all about oneself. There is no room or time to think about others. Self- pity and joy both seem to occupy a place in our lives – but we have to make sure that we recognize self pity so that cheerfulness and joy can reign. The Advent and Christmas Seasons urge us to be joyful by having a greater sense of serving others and being more thoughtful of others. Living with this attitude, we find that we are far more happy and joyful. Let us ask the Saviour to teach us how to forget ourselves so that we might serve others. Let us look to those around us and anticipate their needs, support them in their trials, show appreciation for their work, think of the poor – self-pity will soon disappear and in fact we will probably feel a little ashamed at our childish selfishness. Let us aim for hearts filled with joy.