Evangelical Disciple

Homily from the 3rd Sunday in Advent, "Gaudete Sunday". The joy of God is to produce joy in us. This requires a lot of purification, which always feels like punishment. The result, though, is an encounter with authentic joy and deep peace which, as St. Paul says to the Philippians, "goes beyond all understanding." This joy causes in us a new way of thinking, shifting from focusing on our individual selves to focusing on the community as a whole, always seeking new ways to invite others into this relationship of deep joy.