Joy is a Song

Gospel

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

ACCORDING TO LUKE

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

LUKE 1:39-55

The Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn, telling the world that the Saviour is born.

Today is called Gaudete Sunday—or rejoice Sunday. We light the pink candle on our Advent wreath, which “represents joy and marks a shift in the tone of Advent from [the purple candles that represent] penitential reflection to [the pink that symbolizes] joyful anticipation.” Today we are invited to “rejoice as Christmas draws nearer.”

In the secular world, rejoicing as Christmas draws near tends to revolve around social gatherings, gifts to open, and Santa making his yearly journey around the globe. Rejoicing in Christmas is about the feel-good things that the lights on the tree and the turkey in the oven convey.

However, in the Christian tradition, rejoicing is deeply connected to God and what God does for humanity. Scripture speaks of people encountering God and, in many instances, when this happens, they rejoice. They are so full of gratitude and joy over what God has done that it spills out of them in the form of a song.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, after the parting of the Red Sea, Miriam, Moses’ sister, rejoices—she sings about God casting the horse and rider into the sea. When Hannah, unable to have children, conceives her son, Samuel, she sings, “My heart rejoices in the Lord…The Lord makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap.” The author of Luke picks up this theme, having Zechariah rejoice after the birth of John: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” Then, today, after meeting her cousin Elizabeth, whose unborn child jumps when Elizabeth and Mary greet each other, Mary rejoices, singing, “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”

In contrast to the world around us, where rejoicing is tied to gifts and family gatherings, scripture pictures rejoicing as happening when God intervenes in people’s lives. Ordinary people, people who struggle to survive as we all do, have an experience of God that is so incredibly powerful and meaningful that they feel immense joy, prompting them to rejoice, to sing, to praise God with all that they are.

Today, Gaudete Sunday, we are called to look at our lives and see where God has acted or is acting, and to rejoice. To allow ourselves to be so filled with gratitude and love for our God that it spills out of us.

Take a moment now to think about a time when this was true for you. When something happened in your life that was so pure and good that you knew, deep inside, that God had done something—God had touched you, intervened. If you can’t think of it right now, spend the next week thinking about it. These moments do happen—they really do—and they are such an incredible gift.

Mine is clear: when my first niece, Abby, was born six years ago, my mum and I went early in the morning to meet her. I remember seeing her for the first time—her hair thick and dark, still wet. She had a wrinkly little face and her arms and legs were so skinny and awkwardly shaped. She was tiny, and cute, and in every way just perfect. And in that moment, I knew there was a God—that there had to be more to life because out of minute cells, this new human had been created. I remember looking at her and feeling the most true sense of joy. I don’t know if I will ever experience this again in my life, but I did in that moment. Looking at Abby, I knew, without a doubt, that there is a God—and this God cares so much about us that God intervenes in our lives. In the innermost part of my soul, I rejoiced.

This moment reminded me that life is about far more than the material things we often think we need to experience joy. When has an item, money, or even a meal ever truly caused you joy? While these things might bring fleeting happiness, they don’t reveal God to us. It’s not the newest iPhone or the best-cooked meal that prompts us to rejoice, but, it is the people whose presence blesses us and creates moments that lead to true rejoicing. Our family, friends, and even strangers help us recognize that God is present, active, and intervening in our lives. And when we, like so many throughout scripture, overflow with gratitude and joy, when we take rejoice in our God moments, we demonstrate to our consumer-driven world that life’s true meaning is not found in possessions but in people—those who prompt our souls to glorify the Lord.

So today, on Gaudete Sunday, and through the days that remain of Advent, take time to find your joyful moments. Hold onto them. Embrace them for all that they are. Be grateful for what God has done for you. And in your heart, sing your song of joy. Rejoice that God is here, God loves us, and God is in our lives—just as God has shown time and again throughout Scripture. Amen.

To end this sermon, I want to play a song that I feel is particularly appropriate for today. It is called Gaudete. It is sung in Latin, but on the screen, I have put the English translation of the words too.