I SPENT most of my time this week visiting our seminarians who are on parish internship this year. As always, I feel happy when I hear them express their excitement and joy in ministry. This makes me hopeful about the future of the church; we’ll have happy priests!
As a priest involved in seminary formation, I don’t only look for zeal, compassion, holiness and maturity in our candidates for priesthood. I also look for a joyful spirit. Do they manifest genuine joy to serve God and his people? Is this joy coming from a pure heart that is free from obsession with self-glory, titles or positions? Are they seeing celibacy as a gift that would allow them to serve God’s people freely and joyfully?
Joy. This is one of the marks of sanctity. In fact, it’s an essential characteristic that the Church looks for in a candidate for sainthood. The Church does not want sad saints; the Church wants happy saints! In the same way the Church doesn’t like to see sad priests but joyful priests!
I’m sure that we can say that too for all Christians. We want to see Christians who manifest joy in their faith. For, indeed, as Christians we believe that we have found the greatest pearl of all—the Person of Jesus. And so, we’re happy to give up anything to own and to share this pearl of great price with all people.
This is what Advent and Christmas is all about: it’s having and sharing the joy of receiving the greatest gift of God in our lives: his Son Jesus!
This Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudate Sunday. It means that we have to rejoice because Christmas is near. But we should no just express the joy of the season externally; we should feel it interiorly. This joy comes from within a heart that is grateful to God for the gift of faith and for being called to serve others. It comes from a person who is devoid of selfishness, arrogance, and pride.
One person who modeled for us this joyful spirit was our Blessed Mother, Mary. She felt humbled and happy to be chosen as the Mother of God. She served without any resentment or regret. She gave her whole life joyfully to serve our God by caring for his Son here on earth.
Another person who manifested this joy was John the Baptist. He was happy to know his place or his role in the history of salvation. His joy came from knowing truly who he was: the precursor of the Son of God. His role was to prepare for the coming of the Messiah; he never expected anything else or anything more.
This season of Advent is a grace-filled time to express the joy of being a humble servant of God, of knowing and accepting our place here on earth and being content with it.
May we all express this interior joy to all by our smiles, kindness, hospitality and good will to all people!
A blessed and joyful advent to all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
