In a way, Advent’s Gaudete signals that Jesus the Saviour is already here and for this very reason we dare to rejoice. Visually, the colour change in the vestment symbolically expresses a tension that we feel in our lives brought about by a reality characterised as the “already and the not yet”.
This contradiction between the “already and not yet” is observed in the Gospels where Jesus Himself makes such opposing remarks. In Mark 1:15, we hear “The Kingdom of God is at hand” whereas in John 18:36, Christ says, “My Kingdom is not of this world”. Such a tension is natural or expected because on the one hand, Christ’s Kingdom is partially realised in the Church He had founded. We experience this concretely in the saints who enjoy full communion with God in heaven. On the other hand, we are keenly aware that there are aspects of the visible Church that are still in need of renewal and thus acknowledge that the full realisation of the Kingdom will only take place when He comes again to establish the new heaven and the new earth.
The framework between what has already begun but not finished provides space for rejoicing. How does one rejoice? Despite the reality of incompleteness, St Paul describes to the Corinthians that it is possible to rejoice even though there is sorrow, to enrich others even though one is poor and to possess everything despite having nothing. This ability to embrace the tension of waiting for final fulfilment is crucial because our notion of joy is diametrically opposed to the idea of suffering, or pain or privation. For many, joy is indistinguishable from emotional happiness and it is associated with being on top of the world, unencumbered by pain or suffering. For example, can a person be joyful despite having cancer? Can a person rejoice when he or she has lost her sight?
We find such scenarios rather difficult to imagine because the idea of joy seems to exclude discomfort. To be joyful despite pain and sorrows requires that we hold a more sober view of this world. Sadly, what we have done is to have erased from our philosophical framework the truth of Original Sin and in a manner of speaking “photo-shopped” or edited this imperfect world of this wrinkle. In unwittingly editing out Original Sin, the result is we no longer need a Saviour nor His salvation. Instead, the world can go on and on because there is basically no Resurrection to look forward to.
The focus has shifted from a “heteronomous” vision to an “autonomous” worldview. Take a look at how “justice” is conceived of in such a “perfect” world. Especially in the arena of politics, the game consists of trying to find the sordid past of a public figure in order to disqualify him or her. A good example is “Black Face” or having an opinion in the past that in the present slights or denigrates a group considered specially protected. Whenever a past sin is uncovered, there is no consideration that perhaps the person who did something wrong years ago may have changed. [1] The cynical part of me is already rolling the eyes but conversion is always a possibility because of grace. Closer to reality is that the “past sin” is held against the person as if he or she were conceived without Original Sin and that one should never have fallen. In other words, he or she were born perfect and therefore could do no wrong.
In a perfect world, without Original Sin, what need would we have of a Saviour and His salvation? Without redemption, the idea of the Resurrection does not make sense. In any attempt to right a wrong in the past, it would be incredibly unjust if there were no Resurrection. Why? It would mean that an undetected crime in the past that remained unpunished would amount to an eternal miscarriage of justice. Without the Last Judgement those who have suffered and are uncompensated are irretrievably lost. Think of all the Holocaust victims or victims of unjust wards. In short, losers!
The idea of the Resurrection corrects this illusion of a perfect world. It is linked to the 2nd Coming of Christ and it provides a big picture. No, it does not make the world better because it does not remove our suffering or any prevailing injustice. Instead, the Resurrection gives space for us to let God be in charge. If one were to think about it, the current woke ideology and its deformed baby cancel culture operates from a constricted and temporal space whereby all imperfections have to be resolved within this lifetime because the conclusion of this life is a sad end.
The tension of the “already and not yet” provides freedom for going beyond a notion of reconciliation that is fixated by temporal resolution, that is, we do not need to settle everything here on earth. It is this space that allows for us to rejoice despite not having any resolution to the injustice of the world. Or even in the face of suffering, persecution, dishonour etc. Joy cuts through all these and it makes sense of what Jesus Himself told the Disciples:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.
We dare to rejoice because the Lord has entered into this tension of waiting by coming near to us. The joy of Gaudete is related to Christ’s proximity and it beckons us to let Him take charge of what is beyond our control. Joy means letting God be God because Jesus is the Lord. He is coming. He is here.
[1] It may not even be wrong in the past because it was accepted behaviour. Extreme, corporal punishment of children then followed the adage, “spare the rod and spoil the child”. Today that is considered child abuse.
