Gaudete. Let me say again: Be joyful always. Yes, joy is the keyword for this Third Sunday of Advent. The flowers, the songs, the colors are all there to tell us: be joyful.

After Zephaniah, the prophet who has a glimpse of the peace that the Savior will bring to the world, St. Paul in the Letter to the Philippians asks that our serenity be known to all. The reason: Jesus loved us. He offered Himself for our salvation. We can already glimpse the trust that this implies and of which St. Faustina reminded us on behalf of the Lord: “Do not be afraid, do not worry, God alone is enough for you.”

If St. Paul invites us to “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:47), it is because he knows that Christian joy has its source in the certainty that Christ is near. So, what about us? Are we joyful in the midst of difficulties or even after a failure? Do we find in our faith in Christ the cause of our joy?

His faith in Christ is what made our Founder, Blessed Basile Moreau, serene and joyful. Some may wonder about the serious, austere face that is most often depicted to us. In fact, this is a misrepresentation of our Founder. When his photo was taken, Fr. Moreau was upset as the photo was taken on the sly. His former students testify that he had a smiling face that was filled with joy.

What can we do to cultivate joy? Our faith invites us to look to the heights from where the Lord comes. Listen to Jesus, talk to Jesus. Entrust ourselves to our Mother in heaven, to her heart overflowing with love. Hold the hand of our protector, St. Joseph, and our good guardian angel. Meditate on the examples of holy men and women, including the recently canonized Sr. Marie-Léonie Paradis, and the soon-to-be-canonized Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. Let us not put them out of work!

If our faith is invincible, our testimony must follow. We should talk about it with everyone, starting with our confreres in the Congregation of Holy Cross. We know that with a smile, an image, a medal, a letter we can bring a lot to those we meet. Let us not be jaded. The world which lacks hope is waiting …

Fr. Luc Marie Bouvier, C.S.C., a member of the Mother Province, was born in 1936 in Laval in Mayenne. He completed his novitiate in Saint Laurent in Quebec, Canada, and made his Perpetual Profession in 1968 at Notre-Dame d’Orveauin France. He was ordained a priest in Paris the same year. He served as chaplain in the schools of Saint-Michel de Picpus and Notre-Dame d’Orveau, as well as spiritual director at the Grand Séminaire de Paray-le-Monial. He also worked as a parish priest in the Diocese of Le Mans, where he has lived in a retirement home since 2020.