“Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.” Lk. 1:67
for he has come to his people and set them free.” Lk. 1:67
For those who pray the Divine
Office, this is a well known sentiment. It's the beginning of the Canticle of
Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. I love this piece of scripture as it is
an exhortation of pure joy. It is the encapsulation of so much joy: the joy of
being a new father, the joy of the coming Messiah, and the great joy of a
father already knowing that his son is destined for greatness in the eyes of
God.
How often do we recognize moments to
be joyful in our lives?
At this moment I'm in the depths of
planning a wedding, which for many is a bit of an experience of desolation. Who
cares what color napkins we use? Why do we have to have so many options for
food? Band vs. DJ? It's all overwhelming, and especially frustrating to do from
afar. And, yet, the joy of the life that is to come after the wedding day is
what drives me. It gives me life, understanding, and most of all, patience.
Joy, frankly, is a powerful thing.
I’m certain that Zechariah had no
idea how his son’s greatness would unfold. He could not foresee his son wearing
shoddy clothing, eating locusts and honey, and living in the desert. He most
certainly did not anticipate his son’s beheading at the hands of King Herod’s
son. However, even if he had, I believe the joy of what was to come would have
been still greater that the suffering necessary to get there.
We all have opportunities for joy in
our lives, but we often forget that joy is not synonymous with happiness. The
anxiety and frustration that comes with planning a wedding should not cloud the
joy at the center of what is being celebrated. At the same time, we should also
remember that joy is sometimes accompanied by suffering. The Christmas that we
celebrate tomorrow is soon followed by Lent and the remembrance of Christ’s
suffering and death.
In this
holiday season, am I getting bogged down by the minutiae of life?
Have I taken
time to experience the joy of my life, however small it may be?
In times of
darkness and desolation, what joy can I hold on to that reminds me of God’s
presence in my life?
Matt Keppel
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