How to Rejoice Always, Even in Tough Times
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Last week, my wife and I were moved after watching Bishop Baron’s Sermon for the third Sunday of Advent. He called his video “The Peace that the World Can’t Give”. He was focusing on the second reading for that Sunday, Philippians 4:4-7. In the first verse, St Paul says, “Brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). St. Paul did not say, “Do what you can to experience joy” or “I hope that you have a pleasant life so that you can experience joy,” no he gave us a command. Rejoice always. “I shall say it again: rejoice.”
Rejoice Always
St. Paul commands us to find a way to rejoice no matter what we are experiencing in life. To find joy in the moment, no matter what. He should know; he was writing that joy-filled letter from prison. St. Paul experienced a lot of suffering while ministering as an apostle: multiple imprisonments, hunger, beatings, shipwrecks, and some painful health conditions. We tend to think that experiencing joy is simply the effect of pleasant causes like health, abundance, and love. St. Paul is suggesting that we can experience joy amid problems and suffering. How is that? How do we do that?
St. Paul is not talking about a fleeting emotion but a more profound joy rooted in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Every morning, I pray that God will give me the peace that comes from having Jesus as the center of my life and the joy that flows from having the Holy Spirit active in my soul. The constant joy St.Paul is referring to comes from the unchanging presence of Christ within us.
The Wheel of Fortune or Rota Fortunae
Bishop Baron offered a great analogy. In Pagan and Medieval philosophy, something was called The Wheel of Fortune or Rota Fortunae. In ancient times, they showed the Roman goddess Fortuna spinning the wheel while blindfolded to show that luck or fate can’t be controlled. One stop on the wheel showed a prince saying, “I shall reign,” another stop in the wheel showed the king saying, “I reign,” a third stop showed a falling king with the words “I reigned,” and finally, the fourth stop shows a destitute beggar with the caption “I reign no more.” Very few, if any, people experience a constant flow of health, abundance, love, and other positive aspects of life. The wheel of life surprises us with various conditions.
Some Medieval Catholic churches installed a wheel of fortune as part of their architecture, often surrounding a rose stained glass, but they put Christ at its center. This is the main message. If we stay in the superficial outer edges of the wheel of life, we will let life’s ups and downs rob us of our joy. If we move deeper into the depths of our souls and ask for God’s graces, we will abide with Jesus and experience constant rejoicing. “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). Bishop Barron explains that this peace—biblical “shalom”—isn’t the temporary calm the world offers. Instead, it is a profound sense of wholeness and harmony that only God can give. Similarly, St. Teresa of Avila’s imagery of an interior castle symbolizes the soul’s journey into intimacy with God. Leaving the vulnerability of “the fields”—the distractions and anxieties of the world—and entering the safety of the “castle” brings us closer to the unshakable presence of Christ. In this “castle,” we find the joy and peace that endure.
How can we do this?
By praying without ceasing. In the same letter to the Philippians, St. Paul says, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
By striving to align our will to God’s will, “our will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Living with an attitude of gratitude shifts our focus from the unpredictable rim of the wheel to God’s blessings that can be found daily, even something as simple as feeling the sun’s warmth on a cold morning.
By trusting in God. Many saints endured much suffering but trusted God, surrendered to God’s will, and radiated great joy.
Finally, and not so easily, we must learn to unite our suffering to Christ’s suffering on the cross. Redemptive suffering.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.”
All for the greater glory of God
