JOY

My key word for today is Joy.

I will begin with a true story from when I was serving as the pastor of two small parishes in Nebraska about 40 years ago. In one of the parishes, I baptized a baby named Jason. Jason had only one parent because his father had run away and disappeared before Jason was born. When Jason was 13, his mother dropped him off at her parents’ house and then disappeared. Six weeks later, she left a message on their answering machine: “I’m in Detroit now and I’m never coming back and I never want to see Jason again.”

Jason knew what it’s like to be rejected—by his father before he was born and by his mother at age 13. I’ll put Jason’s story on the shelf for a moment and come back to it soon.

First, let’s look at the picture from the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading. The prophet was speaking to his fellow citizens during their captivity in Babylon. They were 500 miles from their homeland and their Temple, depressed and filled with despair.

The prophet’s message was all about New Life. Isaiah predicted a wonderful future and a New Life for his people. He said, “Give yourselves permission to dream about the future. The desert will bloom like a flower garden. The blind will see and the lame will run and jump and dance. And we will all head home for a wonderful homecoming. Our hearts will be filled with joy.” We will have a new life—a life with no more suffering, no more tears, no more sadness. A life filled with peace, love, and joy. Joy is the key word in today’s First Reading.

Now let’s bring Jason back into the picture. He carried a lot of emotional pain when he moved into his grandparents’ house. But they said, “Let’s not dwell on the pain. Let’s create a vision for the future. Your future is in your control. Your future is not predestined to be awful. So what is your vision for the future?” Jason said, “I see myself finishing high school and going to college. I see myself near the top of my class in college. I see myself getting a good job. I see myself having good friends and having your support all along the way.” And all of the above came true because Jason had a vision. He saw Good News in the future and nothing could pull him away from that vision.

In today’s Gospel, we hear about Jesus fulfilling the vision put forth by Isaiah. He brings Good News to those who are hurting. He comforts the weak and powerless; heals the deaf; cures the blind and the lepers. Then he calls 70 disciples to proclaim the Good News. Before he carries the cross, he calls future generations of disciples to go forth and proclaim his message. In other words, he calls us to go forth and proclaim his vision for the future—a future filled with joy. We are called to proclaim that in the future there will be no more suffering, no more tears, no more sadness—only the fullness of joy. That’s what Gaudete means: the fullness of joy. In the future, there will be no more suffering, no more tears, no more sadness—only the fullness of peace and joy.

Meanwhile, we have to be realistic. The future will not be all joy, joy, joy and more joy. There will be sufferings in our future. We will experience poor health, job loss, family dysfunctions, friends who move away, and the pain of grieving when a family member dies. There will be a lot of hurt in our futures. However, within all of that suffering, we do not have to be miserable. Misery is optional. We can find the joy of Jesus in the midst of it all. How? By doing what Isaiah did, what Nathan did, and what John the Baptist did in today’s Gospel. We can create a vision of the future and then pursue that vision.

Isaiah was looking for a chance to return to his home in Jerusalem. Jason was looking for a good education so his future would have a solid foundation. John the Baptist was looking for someone who could bring Good News to those who are hurting and comfort the weak, heal the deaf, and cure the blind and the lepers. He found that person in his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth.

So it’s all a matter of being a visionary. If we expect to find joy in our future, we will find it. So today, let’s pray that each of us will have a vision for the future—a vision in which good overcomes evil, a vision in which there will be lots and lots of joy because Jesus will be there and he will be our constant companion. Emmanuel—Jesus will be with us and we will never be alone