Christmas: The Cause of Our Joy
Fr. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,
Pastor
Letter from the Pastor
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 19, 2021
There is a difference between joy and happiness. We hear that this is the most wonderful time of the year. [Andy Williams’ version of that song is still my favorite.] The Christmas lights during our early evenings lift our spirits. [It’s always good to see light in the darkness.] The wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons all add to the festive time of this season of Christmas. [I love this time of year.] It makes me happy.
But what happens when it’s over? The first blow to my happiness is usually when I see a barren Christmas tree, usually with a few wisps of tinsel still clinging to its branches, tossed to the side of the road, waiting for its trip to the recycle plant or the garbage dump. It really hurts when I see that on Dec. 26th!
This is a wonderful time of the year and Christmas is something that we should rightly celebrate with as much gusto as we can muster. This season does make me happy but Christmas really is the cause of my joy, our joy.
Just for laughs I searched the web for the difference between happiness and joy. The first site that came up, diffen.com, hit the nail on the head. It said, happiness is an “emotion in which one experiences feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense pleasure.” It is caused by “earthly experiences and material objects.” The emotion is “an outward expression of elation but it is temporary and based on outward circumstances.”
Joy, on the other hand, is a defined as a “stronger, less common feeling than happiness… feeling spiritually connected to God or to people. Joy is caused by “spiritual experiences, caring for others, gratitude, and thankfulness.” Our emotional response is “inward peace and contentment” and it endures. Exactly!
Joy lasts, happiness does not. We might not always be happy but joy, on a deeper level, is a part of us … or not.
In Christmas, we celebrate God – the master of the universe, the creator of everything, that which is beyond all knowing, the author and essence of life itself – became flesh and lived among us. That in and of itself is awesome, no? Then we listen to his message and we are overwhelming. Jesus reminded us that we are made in the image and likeness of God, everyone! [Genesis 1:27] He taught us that we are loved no matter what we have done. [Luke 15:11-32.] He tells us to love one another as he loves us. [John 13:34.] And Matthew ends his Gospel, after Jesus commissions us to go out to all the nations and make new disciples, with the line “I will be with you always, until the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:19] WOW!
This time of year might make us happy, but the season of Christmas is the cause of our joy. Our lineage is holy. We are loved, forgiven, and commissioned to spread that same message to everyone we meet, all the time.
On behalf of all the Pastoral Staff, may you and your families be blessed this Christmas with all that is good and may the mystery of the Incarnation continue to bring wonder and joy to the whole world.
May we all know His peace.
Merry Christmas!
Fr. Francis J. Di Spigno, OFM
Pastor