Sunday, December 12, 2021

Generating joy

Sermon for the third Sunday in Advent

It's rather difficult being happy at the moment, isn't it? There is much sadness and, as Christians, we must mourn with those who mourn. It's about time we gave up trying to be happy and become joyful instead.

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Happiness is not the same as joy. We are happy when things go our way. We are happy when we find something unexpectedly pleasurable. We are happy when we have good luck. That's the problem: happiness depends on our circumstances here and now. That's why the word happy is related to words such as happening and mishap. Christians are not called to be happy, we are called to be joyful.

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Happiness depends on luck: Joy does not.
Happiness depends on who's around us: Joy does not.
Happiness depends on our circumstances, our social standing, our possessions and our location: Joy does not.

St Paul recognises this which is why he tells us to be careful for nothing. We should not associate our joy with anything that worries us. Joy is one of the treasures that we store up in heaven. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Ghost and it requires growing.

The Psalmist says we may live our lives in the morning, sowing the seed of good works in sorrow and hardship but, when evening comes, we come home in joy bringing the sheaves of our labours with us. Often we confuse the search for joy with the search for happiness and this explains much of why the world around us is in a state.

The world's search for happiness is like growing weeds rather than good plants. Some weeds like dandelions and daisies look pretty but they fall away. The world chases weed after weed after weed and cannot understand why it isn't getting happier. The happiness the world offers is immediate gratification but, after a while, that pleasure cloys and bores us.

Joy is not like that. We can rejoice in the Lord always even when we are grieving. True joy is to be found in gazing upon the face of Almighty God and seeing in Him all our desires satisfied Eternally. That is what we are looking for and it requires work because we are fallen from God. If we want joy then we must seek God for only God can give us joy: it is from the Holy Ghost. 

This is why the holy martyrs can bear such incredible pain: they do not find happiness in the pain, but rather they find joy in loving God so much. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. The martyrs long for nothing less than the friendship of God and their pains for Him mean that they reap the fruit of joy. See St Stephen's joy in seeing Christ Jesus at the right hand of the Father as he is stoned to death. 

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You don't have to be a martyr to find joy. It's just more noticeable with them as their joy is more obvious. All the saints find joy in their lives walking with God and sainthood is our calling too. Advent is all about preparing ourselves for Joy which we find when we gaze upon the face of a baby who is God. In Advent we hear the tidings of great joy, not of great happiness.
The birth of the Christ Child is more than just a happening: it is Eternity breaking into Time; it is Joy breaking into Happiness.

And how do we gain this great joy? We ask God for it and then prepare our lives by seeking to be like Him. We seek the end of our Happy Christmasses by growing Joyful ones.

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