This morning we attended a talk delivered by Fr. Cantalamess, the official preacher of the Holy Father. he preaced three recollection during this advent season. Today he spoke of "Joy" ahd how can we evangelise through this Joy.
Let us return to the theme of joy. Where does happiness come from? The ultimate
source of joy is God, the Trinity. But we are in time, whereas God is in
eternity. How can joy flow between two so distant points? Actually, if we delve
more deeply into the Bible, we discover that the immediate origin of joy is in
time: it is God’s action in history. God who acts! A divine action, at the point
where it “falls” upon history, causes a vibration and a wave of joy that
resounds for generations; indeed, when dealing with actions bequeathed by
Revelation, it resounds forever.
God’s action is always a miracle that
fills heaven and earth with wonder: “Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has
done it” – exclaims the prophet – “shout O depths of the earth!” (Is 44:23;
49:13). The joy breaking forth from Mary’s heart, and from the hearts of the
other witnesses of the beginnings of salvation, is wholly based on this: God has
come to the help of Israel! God has done it! He has done great
things!
How can this joy in God’s action reach the Church today,
infecting her with the same jubilant gladness? First, it reaches her by way of
remembrance, in the sense that the Church “remembers” God’s marvelous works
accomplished on her behalf. The Church is invited to make her own the Virgin’s
words: “The Almighty has done great things for me”. The Magnificat is the
canticle which Mary first intoned - as the coryphaeus preceding the chorus- and
has left to the Church, that its singing might be prolonged through the
centuries. Truly the Lord has done great things for the Church over these last
twenty centuries!
In a certain sense, we have greater reason for
rejoicing than Zachariah, Simeon, the shepherds and the early Church in general.
She went forth “bearing the seed for sowing”, as Psalm 126 says. She had
received God’s promises: “I am with you!” and his commands: “Go out to all the
world!” But we have seen these fulfilled. The seed has grown, the tree of the
Kingdom has become immense. The Church today is like the sower who “returns with
shouts of joy, bearing his sheaves. (Taken from the homily of Fr. Cantalamessa)