Rejoice Always

Today is Gaudete Sunday – Rejoice Sunday, and the second Mass reading really spoke to my heart this morning. The reading is 1 Thes 5:16-24.

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always.

If you are walking in obedience to the Lord, you will rejoice always, as joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. If you notice you are lacking in charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, or chastity, it’s time for an examination of conscience to see why you aren’t bearing fruit.

Another reason to rejoice is because those living the Christ life these days are like beacons in the world. Blogger Mark Mallett says, “As the darkness gets darker, the Stars shine brighter.”   It is easy to become discouraged and lose our peace over the condition of the world today. But we should not lose hope.  Our mission is to be the the light of the world:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ” (Daniel 12:3)

This year I saved the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal letter mailed to everyone in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  The letter contains this beautiful message:

“The stars in the night sky declare the glory of the Lord, so too God’s people radiate with the glory of God in a dark world.  God has strategically placed each star in the heavens and God has strategically placed you on the earth to bring light to your environment.”  – Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory

Pray without ceasing.

Praying without ceasing doesn’t mean we have to have a rosary in hand 24/7. We can turn our entire lives into a prayer by recollection, or practicing the presence of God. St. Therese of Lisieux did this with her “little way” of doing everything, even if it was just picking up a pin, for love of God. If we are mindful of God’s presence at all times, we are more likely to do those things that please Him, and refrain from doing those things that grieve Him.

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

That means to give thanks even in suffering, because all things work for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). One practical way to do this is to start small, offering up little sufferings and thanking God for the opportunity to suffer for His Kingdom. I started doing this with every stubbed toe and every minor annoyance. I found that doing so became a habit so that when bigger sufferings come, I immediately offer them up rather than focus on myself.  

Another practical way to do this is with a Morning Offering. I like this one by St. Francis Xavier:

“I adore You, God the Father, who created me, I adore You, God the Son, who redeemed me, I adore You, God the Holy Ghost who have sanctified me, and continue to carry on the work of my sanctification. I consecrate this day entirely to Your love and to Your greater glory. I know not what this day will bring me either pleasant or troublesome, whether I shall be happy or sorrowful, shall enjoy consolation or undergo pain and grief, it shall be as You please; I give myself into Your hands and submit myself to whatever You will.”

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful prayer St. Paul is saying for each of us! We need to be ready to meet Jesus, whether for us it is at the Second Coming, or more likely, when we die and meet face to face at our particular judgment. What a joy that moment will be if we have used each moment of our lives as an offering of love to our God. How awesome will it be to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” (Matt 25:21)

But what a moment of terrible regret for those who have wasted their time, thinking holiness is for other people, not for them. Some people put off getting their spiritual act together, thinking, “I’ll do what I want now, and then decide to be holy at the end of my life.”  I know this because I’ve been one of those people, but by the grace of God, I am no longer.

There are two major problems with the attitude that one can be holy “later.”   If this is your plan and you die tomorrow, then what?

“You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you. . .”(Luke 12:20)

Like the five foolish virgins who weren’t prepared, you could be left out of the wedding feast when the bridegroom arrives. That parable ends with Jesus telling us, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13)

The second problem is, even if you do manage some sort of deathbed conversion, you’ve still lost all those opportunites when you could have been growing in holiness and storing up treasure in Heaven. It’s likely you’d have to make up in Purgatory without merit the time lost on Earth. People don’t generally become holy over night. It is a process – better to start now than to wait until the last minute, when a painful Purgatory awaits those who have much to be purified before they are ready for Heaven.

 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.

You have been called by God to be perfectly holy. He will not fail to bring you to holiness, but He will not force holiness on you. He needs our cooperation, our willingness to respond to His grace.

“Resistance to grace is the reason of the absence of growth in the spiritual life.”  -Fr. Edward Leen, Progress Through Mental Prayer

I’ve mentioned the following quote from St. Thomas Aquinas before, but it is so simple and profound, and worth mentioning again.  He was asked by his sister what one needs to do to become a saint.  He responded, “Will it.”

“The one who calls you” . . . We are called by God to be His forever in Heaven – what an awesome gift He offers! I was listening to a talk by one of the Fathers of Mercy, Fr. David Wilton, and one thing he said in particular brought tears to me eyes.  He said, “God doesn’t need you. . . but He wants you.”  When we think about the incredible love that He has for us, how can we not love Him in return, with all that we are, all that we have, and all that we do?

How great will our joy in Heaven be if we have learned from the example of Christ that true love is a total giving of self, holding nothing back from the beloved. In the end, love is all that matters – love of God and love of neighbor. The time to start loving is now, not tomorrow, because eventually each one of us will run out of tomorrows.   We need to be ready now to meet Jesus.