Joy Takes Work
“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -C.S. Lewis
Advent is a season of waiting. We wait for Christmas and the coming of Christ at the end of time. Yesterday, we celebrated Gaudete Sunday, a day when we continue to wait, but also rejoice.
I've compared it to parents who let their kids open one of their Christmas presents a little early.
In some ways, it's more of a challenge. Passive fun is easy. Complaining is even easier. Rejoicing takes some work.
Earlier this month, we celebrated the feast of St. Francis Xavier. One of my favorite stories about Xavier comes from when he was being chased by bandits through snowy mountain passes in Japan:
“He went barefooted in his sleeveless, black, torn cassock, with a small Siamese cap tied to his head, and his pack on his back. At times he skipped with joy or tossed an apple into the air and caught it again. His eyes were filled with grateful tears that God had chosen him to herald the holy faith at the imperial court of Japan.”
Xavier was relentless. He risked his life to travel across the world to share the Gospel.
And he skipped with joy because of it.
Passive entertainment is a pale imitation of the joy we can experience when we get off the couch and join other people.