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1 Thessalonians 5:16-24:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophetic utterances.
Test everything; retain what is good.
Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy
and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,
be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
The Word of the Lord.
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Christmas is almost a week away!
For many of us, our trees have been decorated, most of our gifts have been wrapped, and empty nests have been filled with kids returning from college, relatives from out of state, or friends we’ve finally made the time to reconnect with.
It truly is a blessed time of year.
But I wonder, can we keep this holiday spirit going year-round? Or is Christian joy something seasonal?
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Saint Paul says in our second reading, “Rejoice always!” Not, “Rejoice during the month of December.”
Or, “Rejoice until Christmas.”
Or, “Rejoice when everything in life is going my way.”
But, “Rejoice always!”
God calls us to be joyful people year-round. This is what we celebrate today on Gaudete Sunday. So, how do we translate this holiday cheer into joy year-round?
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I’ll offer four simple tips. Perhaps one or two might stick, becoming a New Year’s resolution, even a year-long habit.
1.) Give more gifts.
Every Christmas we’re called to be generous. But don’t stop giving on December 25th.
Keep giving. In fact, give more.
But instead of giving someone a set of Apple AirPods, the latest bestseller, or a set of furry slippers, give the gift of yourself.
Some things we buy this Christmas will be out of style next year. But you never will be. Don’t let any commercial or advertisement convince you otherwise.
What your family and friends need more than anything else is you.
If we focus on the giver – not the gift – then Christmas joy will be ours year-round.
2.) Spend more time with God.
For some of us, God gets more time during Advent than other times of the year.
In preparing for the birth of Christ, we may have attended an extra Mass, prayed a rosary, read the bible, or spent a few moments in prayer, even over a cup of coffee.
When the anxiety and busyness of life returns, these routines shouldn’t stop; our relationship with God should never be seasonal.
The formula — before, during, and after Christmas — is always the same:
More time spent with God equals more joy. As the prophet Isaiah reminds us in our first reading, “My God is the joy of my soul.”
3.) Remember, God is always with you.
During the Christmas season, many of us fill our homes with Nativity sets, Advent wreaths, and angels atop our Christmas trees.
All those little bits of Christmas décor are reminders of God’s presence in our lives. We need these visual reminders that the Lord is near.
But not just during the month of December. We need them year-round. When the Christmas decorations come down, put up another reminder of God’s presence.
Replace your Christmas tree with a crucifix, your Advent wreath with a framed Bible quote, or your Nativity scene with an image of a favorite Saint.
Keep some physical reminder of God’s presence in view for yourself, your children, and for all who enter your home, then the true source of Christmas joy – Jesus Christ – will be with you always.
4.) Go the extra mile.
The holidays often inspire us to be a little more generous with our time, treasure, and talent.
For example, we’ve all made the effort to buy a gift, send a card, a text, or to volunteer. I’m thinking, in particular, about the young parents who helped to run our Christmas pageant last week.
When the holidays conclude, keep it up, because the old saying is true – “the more we give, the more we have.”
Go that extra mile and you’ll experience Christian joy year-round.
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In nearly a week we’ll celebrate Christmas. Holiday cheer is everywhere. But it doesn’t have to end on December 25th.
In fact, it shouldn’t. Christian joy is never meant to be seasonal.
In order to keep it going, we must give more gifts – particularly, the gift of ourselves. Spend more time with God. Remember that God is always with us. And go the extra mile.
Then Christian joy will be ours year-round.
As Saint Paul encourages us today, “Rejoice always! I say it again, rejoice!”
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Image credits: (1) Global Teen Challenge (2) Just Cards Direct (3) Calvary University