It's the first vespers of the third week of advent...Rejoice says the office, rejoice says the prayers. Liturgical prayer is not without its cache of ironies. This Sunday's celebration features one of them. What is there, pray tell, to rejoice about when all around you reeks of the putrid smell of murder and mayhem? What is there to shout out GAUDETE for when even the cyber space is overrun and polluted with virtual triumphs at some imaginary poker tables, smiley punctuated updates for a new found cyber pet or new born cyber brown cows, or mounting stats in one's adeptness at zapping neatly arranged cyber gems, all these being our age's sorry alternative for the decent and humane society that we have now long lost?
Tonight, on this eve of Gaudete, I stand before God. He in his majesty and I in my misery. I stand before him as a beggar, a stray dog licking its wounds. I dare stand before him in my utter nothingness, or rather, in the filthy garb of selfishness and sin that I have made out of the sparkling mantel he once clothed me with when I came out of his bosom. I stand before him tonight, aggrieved by my failings, ready to be slaughtered anew and refashioned into his image once more.
This is the cause of my rejoicing! I declare GAUDETE tonight, for God has not deprived me of that spark in my innermost, that now moves me out of hell and back to life! I declare GAUDETE, for the Lord is truly nigh, and I could feel the trembling all around, as mountains of atrocities crumble, and valleys of injustice and afflictions fill up with consolation. I declare GAUDETE tonight, for I profess, I believe, that the day is truly at hand, when the martyrs would again rise to trumpet the victory of goodness and compassion, of mercy and justice, of life and of love, while their feet trample on the vicious head of the despicable monster of hate and greed that has caused their blood to flow far and wide, refusing annihilation but rather suffusing every parched spot on the face of humanity, and now cause a thousand buds of hope and recovery to spring into new life.
I rejoice for having been found! I rejoice for having been empowered! I rejoice for having been saved! I rejoice for being still around today, that I may lend my voice to those whose throats were slashed for speaking out the truth, for voicing out the cause for freedom, for crying out for mercy, for praying for peace! I rejoice because the God of Justice, the Prince of Peace, has loved me immensely in spite of me, and has wiped away every stain of sin in me, that I may worthily take up arms against the enemy! I rejoice for the Lord is truly nigh!
Tonight, on this eve of Gaudete, I stand before God. He in his majesty and I in my misery. I stand before him as a beggar, a stray dog licking its wounds. I dare stand before him in my utter nothingness, or rather, in the filthy garb of selfishness and sin that I have made out of the sparkling mantel he once clothed me with when I came out of his bosom. I stand before him tonight, aggrieved by my failings, ready to be slaughtered anew and refashioned into his image once more.
This is the cause of my rejoicing! I declare GAUDETE tonight, for God has not deprived me of that spark in my innermost, that now moves me out of hell and back to life! I declare GAUDETE, for the Lord is truly nigh, and I could feel the trembling all around, as mountains of atrocities crumble, and valleys of injustice and afflictions fill up with consolation. I declare GAUDETE tonight, for I profess, I believe, that the day is truly at hand, when the martyrs would again rise to trumpet the victory of goodness and compassion, of mercy and justice, of life and of love, while their feet trample on the vicious head of the despicable monster of hate and greed that has caused their blood to flow far and wide, refusing annihilation but rather suffusing every parched spot on the face of humanity, and now cause a thousand buds of hope and recovery to spring into new life.
I rejoice for having been found! I rejoice for having been empowered! I rejoice for having been saved! I rejoice for being still around today, that I may lend my voice to those whose throats were slashed for speaking out the truth, for voicing out the cause for freedom, for crying out for mercy, for praying for peace! I rejoice because the God of Justice, the Prince of Peace, has loved me immensely in spite of me, and has wiped away every stain of sin in me, that I may worthily take up arms against the enemy! I rejoice for the Lord is truly nigh!
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