The Light of Joy
Advent 3
December 17, 2023
Fr. Tim Nunez and Kate Willette
May my spoken word be true to God’s written word and bring us all closer to the living word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Consider all the challenges children and youth face in our current age. They have all the struggles that people have always had with figuring out who we are and who we want to be, where and how we fit in cliques and awkwardness. All of that is acutely maximized by social media.
Smart phones, which almost all teenagers have, put the world at their fingertips. Some of that is good, bringing knowledge, information and different cultures into view, but also a great deal of stress that comes with heightened awareness of all the strife and struggles people face around the globe. A bus plunges into a ravine in Honduras. Rebels make gains in Myanmar. Ukraine. Israel. We are just beginning to grasp the deeply disturbing effect the lockdowns have had on education and mental health.
I could go on listing problems that affect our kids without taking sides on the issues, but we do take sides and they merit a lot of thought and discussion. But note the added stress that public debate of weighty issues place on young people. It’s quite a lot, and to be fair much of it looks dark. A bright light, then, is precious and influential.
Kate Willette is 16 and a sophomore at Lake Wales High School. I’ve always had trouble remembering how old Kate is because she’s always been tall and mature for her age. When she was 12, I thought she was 16. Now that she’s 16, I expect her to be in a management position at a company or something. She’s a great student and a gifted athlete, as well as an acolyte and a member of our Live Stream Team.
Two weeks ago, she told me she had given a talk to the Lake Wales Fellowship of Christian Athletes and asked if I wanted to see it. I said yes, of course. I loved it and asked Kate to share it with us this morning.
Joy in Jesus
We all look to find joy in our lives. however, many times we look in the wrong places. Instagram likes, compliments, or fancy things will never bring us joy. We often confuse joy and happiness. happiness is temporary and will only last in the moment. However, the joy that Jesus brings you will always be there no matter the circumstance. Jesus is the only one that can provide true joy in our lives. everything else may simply bring happiness, and it will eventually leave you. you can be confident in the joy that Jesus will bring you because of his steadfast love and grace. Romans, chapter 15, verse 13 states: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Once you have accepted this joy, you become a light. Others will see you and your everlasting joy. They will want to experience what you are experiencing. accept the calling. You are a light. You are not here by accident. Each and every one of you has a purpose and you are all able to spread joy throughout your family, our school, and our community. If you feel the tug on your heart, don’t fight it. We are called to be disciples and we are called to bring Jesus’ light to the world. So, how can we do that in our daily lives? here are some ways we can spread the joy throughout this Christmas season.
1. Rejoice always. Find joy in all moments. Find the good and focus on that. Never dwell on the negative
2. Be a leader. Set yourself apart. Through social media and our friend groups, we all get pulled on to the negative track. Change the subject and be positive. It can be hard but it’s so, so worth it.
3. Share the joy. Share with your friends what your thankful for. Share what you’re looking forward to. It will completely change your perspective and their perspective on everything
The joy found in Jesus is incomparable. We have to take initiative and share it with those that don’t know him.
This is a very praiseworthy piece. She has beautifully captured what is coincidentally – or not so coincidentally - the theme of this third Sunday of Advent: Joy. Her first way to spread joy directly quotes from our reading from 1st Thessalonians. Rejoice always.
Perhaps I should just stop here and let that stand and sink in for all of us. But let’s look at the connection between Joy and the light John mentions in his gospel, which begins at the beginning. Please turn to John 1:1, which you’ll find on page 886 of your pew Bibles.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)
Note the progression, the correlations here. The Word, through whom – not a what but a whom – all things were made is the source of all life, and the life was the light of all people. That light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
That is so very important because it’s not just the cares of the world that darken our days and weigh us down. It’s pain and suffering, grief and worry, anxiety and depression – and those often come together. We need that light of Christ to dispel that darkness. And while we must take most seriously our personal challenge to prepare to embrace him, we must also be animated by the joy he brings.
Kate testified that once you have accepted the joy of Jesus, you become a light. She said, “You are a light.” Well, Kate, you have proven your point. You are a light. You are living, breathing, walking proof of what you said. You have brightened our hearts with Christ’s light this morning. May we all shine a little brighter because of it.
AMEN