“No one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord” ~ Pope Paul VI.
Christmas is a season of joy! We have a sign in our house this time of year that says, “JOY.” It’s kept in the kitchen where our kids see it whenever they wash their hands. My son loves looking at it and trying to say, “joy!” Every time he does, I tell him: “Joy means we are happy because God loves us.”
What is true joy?
Our Catholic understanding of joy is finding peace and rest in God’s love. We could find dozens of ways to define or interpret joy, but a semblance of peace sums them all up. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, derived from countless pleasures. Actual joy is peace in the Lord’s care. Joy is independent from our financial, emotional, mental, or physical state. It is dependent solely on our relationship with God.
Finding Joy in Christmas.
Joy is classically affiliated with Christmas, and why wouldn’t it be? Happiness at Christmastime is truly something else. The world is beautiful, celebrating the birth of Christ with decorations and lights. All December is filled with parties, gift-giving, special food and activities. For so many people, it is easy to experience emotional happiness throughout the Christmas season. Unfortunately, there are also many opportunities for pain. We mourn the people who aren’t here to join the fun. It’s the end of the year, and we face our disappointments as well as achievements. For so many people, Christmas ends up being a time of pain.
True joy, though, cannot be taken away. Real joy remembers the festivities do not matter. They are an expression of happiness because God loves us, not the focus of our holiday. Joy is finding peace amidst our pain and troubles because God so loved the world. Cultivating a spirit of joy is a path to genuine peace throughout our lives.
Our entire Christmas season should be centered around the nativity of the Lord. It should not focus on the fun and decorations, as easy as that would be. Those things are dependent on the rest of our lives, but joy is dependent only on God. He does not disappoint us. The Lord does not cause us pain.
As we celebrate the Nativity of Christ, that is all that should matter. No matter who we’ve lost, what we’ve gone through, Christ is here. Christ is King. He is our Emmanuel, our Messiah. Teaching our children that Christmas is for Christ is the best thing we could ever do for them. This lesson cultivates true joy in their lives, that they will keep with them through every storm.
