Waiting For The Light

Into our darkness, arise, O Sun of Justice!

Friday was a dark day. It was a hard and numbing day.

Yesterday was a difficult day, I was sick and I had most of my Christmas shopping to do. Heavy bags, heavy sinuses, a toothache, crowds, lines, cashiers who got the prices wrong, headlines and talk about Friday. Two stores I went into had only one worker each, granted they are just small Catholic book and novelty stores but they usually have help and are not that crowded. In that moment all I felt was frustrated and tired. When I got home I remembered the whole reason I was doing all this, it wasn't for me.

Today we are reminded to rejoice. Gaudete means rejoice. In my reflection this morning I was reminded that the Lord commands us not only to rejoice sometimes, but always (Phil 4:4) and that it doesn't mean that we rejoice over all things but that we rejoice in the Lord under all circumstance. Because the Lord is our Joy and the circumstances are not.

So I  can rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for the heavy bags because that means I was able to get the things that I needed. I can rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for the crowds because although everyone may not fully understand why they are celebrating and rejoicing they do acknowledge that this is a time to celebrate and be generous. I can rejoice in the Lord and thank Him when I am tired because I got a lot accomplished and it just a few things less that I have to do tomorrow.

I can also rejoice in the Lord that my title no longer matches what my post is about. I sat down to write about that pink candle and John giving us a glimpse of what is to come and light coming into the darkness but God had another plan and I can rejoice in that.