WORD OF LIVING WATER DAILY INSPIRATION

LET YOUR LIFE BE FULL OF JOY (GAUDETE SUNDAY)

(Is 35: 1-6,10, Psalm 146, James 5:7-10, Matt 11:2-11)

The third Sunday of Advent presents the theme of joy and that is what the third candle which is rose colour also represents. Today is Gaudete Sunday or Joyful Sunday as Mother Church wants of all us to rejoice as we await the coming of our redeemer. The life of a Christian must radiate the joy of Christ whose coming we anticipate. We cannot be preparing and waiting for our saviour in such a manner and live a life of sadness or sorrow. To live a life of sorrow in this sense will be a contradiction in terms. This lasting joy only comes from God and not from worldly pleasure. The third Sunday is an indication that we have to be in high expectation with joy in welcoming the Messiah into our hearts, because the preparations is gradually coming to the end of the tunnel.

The first reading presents good news of deliverance to the people of Israel, who were been tormented by Assyrians. Assyria was one of the powerful kingdoms which conquered Israel and ruled them. God was bringing them deliverance, which implied that the Assyrian dominance was coming to an end. Their situation was nothing to write home about because they were living a hopeless life. How can you be in a state of hopelessness and be joyful at the same time? But the Lord through His prophet pointed out to His people that they should be joyful because their salvation from the power of the Assyrians is near than they thought. It is He who allowed them to go through that situation, and He is the very person who can deliver them from it. The fact that they were in such situation does not mean their God had abandoned them. He still cares for them because they are His chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy people, people set apart for Him. Even though it was their sins that led them to such moment but their cry for deliverance has reached the Lord. Just like He told them in Ex 3:8 that He has come to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, in the same vein He is telling them. They only need to rejoice because their redeemer lives. “andthe ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” Is 35:10

The people of Israel were in high expectation for the coming of the Messiah whom they were expecting to come and deliver them from Roman rule. Of course, Christ who is the Messiah did not come to set them free from Roman rule but rather from the worst enemy of humanity, which is sin and its effects. John the Baptist who was a herald for this purpose came to preach a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins for the people of Israel as they waited for the Messiah. But it seems that John also was now thinking the same way like the Israelites. Because am sure he expected Jesus to use His power as the Messiah to free him from prison. The deliverance Jesus was bringing was not a physical one but spiritual. John was very much aware of this, but when situation became difficult for him, he started thinking like the ordinary Jews. The reply of Jesus to John was very simple. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them” Matt 11: 4-5. The purpose of His coming is to set humanity free from the power of sin and its effects. This is supposed to be the cause of their greatest joy ever in their life that God sending His only begotten Son because of their salvation.

Jesus came to bring good news to the poor, to bring liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to bring total joy and happiness to our human existence (Lk 4:18-19). This is the purpose of His coming. That is the purpose of Jesus for you and I, that He has come so that our lives would be full of joy. He is the source and fountain of joy and we cannot claim to be His children, if we allow sadness and sorrow to take charge of our lives.

My dear friends, I Thes 5: 18 indicates that we should give thanks to God in all circumstances and be joyful for that matter. But some of us allow the troubles of this world to dictate the kind of joy in our lives. Some of us our lives are full of sorrow and bitterness without any amount of joy. Crying and lamenting has become our food, forgetting that our God is able to deliver us from all difficult situations. Rejoice in the Lord because God will not allow those troubles to swallow you. He will definitely come to your aid in such moments. Do not think God has abandoned you and remember, no problem is bigger than God. I know some of the Israelites also thought likewise but the prophet told them that their deliverer is closed at hand they had to only rejoice. 

We have no choice than to be people of joy as the readings have pointed out to us. Live a joyful life and people who encounter you experience this joy of Christ. It is the joy of Christ which can conquer all. Look cheerful and let your preparations for Christmas be heralded by joy because, it is the greatest joy which is coming into your life, your  family, your work place, your city and town and in fact the entire world. May the joy of Christ locate you wherever you are and may the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding remain with you now and forever. AMEN. BE FULL OF JOY TODAY. Don’t be controlled by sorrow.

Have a blessed Sunday and a happy week ahead!

REV. FR. Akakpo Matthew