If we see ourselves in any of these situations, rejoice and be glad, because the today’s readings promise good news. Some of us find ourselves trapped in the darkness of sin. We see ourselves poor, hungering and thirsting for friendship, understanding and a sense of belonging. Our hearts may be broken because of rejection or we have been hurt by the actions and words of others.

We see ourselves ‘captives’ of our difficult circumstances, there seems to be no way out. We find ourselves in the midst of problems without any apparent solution. Many of us may be experiencing some form of darkness in our lives. We are called to rejoice, because the Lord is coming – he is coming to save us, to liberate us, and to give us new life. He is coming to dispel the darkness of our lives. It is the joy of knowing that our Lord, the light of the World, is coming. So what is this joy which the readings are speaking of? The answer lies in Christ. Neither is it the joy that comes from creating an illusory world in our minds where pain and suffering is denied. Indeed, the Third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday.” “Gaudete” is the Latin word meaning ‘rejoice.’ What joy can there be in the midst of so much pain, suffering, gloom and darkness? It is certainly not the joy that emerges from some false optimism on our part that things are going to get better – too often, we can attest to this, things in fact get worse. We experience fleeting moments of happiness but then the looming darkness, which never really disappears, returns to burst the bubble of our naïve optimism.Īgainst this tide, not just a tide but a tsunami of despair, today’s liturgy shouts out this refrain: “Rejoice! Exult for Joy! Be happy at all times!” Our senses seem to want to shout back: “What’s there to be joyful about?” “Is the Church blind?” “Is God blind to our troubles?” Well, you need to understand that Joy is the central theme throughout the readings this Sunday. Joy, on the other hand, is something elusive. It is no wonder that so many people in our society are depressed, cynical and suicidal. This litany of sorrows and woes is just a simple demonstration to show that it is not difficult to see the negative, the dark and gloomy and to find ourselves stuck in a mire of despair. Recently, I’ve lost someone very dear to me and no amount of grieving is going to take away the pain of the loss. It would mean that I wouldn’t have to endure any more dreary years of pain and suffering. What am I complaining about? Perhaps, this is the best news yet. My doctor just diagnosed me with cancer and tells me that I’ve got a few more months to live. I can’t even migrate since I don’t have the money to do so and all these countries where my friends have migrated to have since imposed conditions that are impossible to fulfil. My job is at risk, I’m not sure if I will be retrenched or whether I will be able to find a job after that. The economy is going to the dogs and there is nothing I can do about it. There is simply no hope that things are going to get better. What’s the point? All the candidates would be equally abysmal. The politics in this country is really so bad that I don’t think I would even vote in the next elections.

Even if we were to come across some piece of good news, one isn’t really sure whether it’s the truth or just another propaganda churned out by the establishment. Today, I opened the newspapers and just like any other ordinary day of the week I’m confronted with a whole range of bad news, disasters and tragedies.

Naive optimism meaning