“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,\]\ but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7)
Our reading from the Apostle Paul for this 2nd Sunday of Advent reminds us to rejoice in the Lord. The Church labels this Sunday as Gaudete Sunday from the Latin Word “Let us Rejoice”. Paul’s words here remind the love and joy that are ours in Christ Jesus. This we must bear in mind, especially during this time of pandemic. We need to be ever mindful of the joy and peace we have in Christ even as we live in the midst of a world filled with pain, violence, and sin masquerading as righteousness. Paul tells us not to feel angry, anxious or negative but to rejoice in the midst of and despite our tribulation and suffering.
Rejoicing in the midst of pain, however, is difficult. We often resent people who admonish us to focus on the positives when we are wallowing in the negatives. But Paul is not giving us mere platitudes here. He knew that what he was talking about was difficult to do. He was one who endured a a great deal of suffering. He endured violent assaults from those who opposed the gospel of grace, both inside the church as well as from pagans and Jews in the communities he visited. Yet he said we should be joyful and contented. We can thank God for what we have rather than what we do not.
That is a hard thing to do. We have forgotten that the Lord always keeps His promises. We focus on our own impotence or the promises of others who often do not provide proper help or guidance. We have forgotten the love and power of Almighty God. He gives us the grace and strength to carry us through every trial and meet our every need. As we trust Him, He will give us peace in the midst of our tribulations.
And so we focus on the good things of the Lord and what He is doing. There is just so much negative news in our world that it is a struggle to remember all the wonders of the universe that the Lord has set in place. And as far as the bad things that happen and all the suffering that we human beings endure, we should work to alleviate that suffering through the use of our time, talents, and finances. We should work to counteract the evil in the world by doing and praising what is right, good, and true rather than praising those cultural icons, politicians, business men, and celebrities who seek glory for themselves. All glory and honor belong to the Lord.