If you chose “Joy to the World” you picked a winner. Although the internet is filled with lists of ‘most-popular’ carols, Joy to the World is the most published.
Surprisingly, it was not written
for Christmas. The Protestant minister Isaac Watts, who also wrote “When I
Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” wrote the song for a 1719 hymnal of psalms set
to music.
But where it started out is not where “Joy to the World” ended up: it’s been called
“one of the most joyous Christmas hymns in existence; not in the sense of
merry-making but in the deep and solemn realization of what Christ’s birth has
meant to mankind.”
It didn’t hurt that some of the tune is taken from Handel’s Messiah. But
I suspect that its first word is what attracts so many people to this carol.
Joy is a simple word but a powerful one. It appears about sixty times in
the New Testament. And it appears three times in the scriptures we’ve heard
tonight: twice in Isaiah’s prophecy to those who lived in darkness, and once in
what the angel said to the frightened shepherds.
Let’s take a close look at what the angel said. “Do not be afraid; for
see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”
Good news of great joy! The angel seems confident in his message. Which
makes me wonder: are we? We all agree that the birth of Christ is good news—you
wouldn’t be here tonight if you thought it was bad news! But do we experience
it as “good news of great joy”?
Even for the shepherds, the angel’s announcement brings joy from the
outset. Look how the angel begins by acknowledging that they are frightened:
his first words were “do not be afraid.” But the next thing he said was “I
bring you good news of great joy.”
This news overcomes the shepherds’ fear: by the end of the Gospel reading,
they are heading off to Bethlehem, something no shepherd in his right mind
would do without a very good reason, unless, of course, they took the sheep
along—and if they did, St. Luke really ought to have told us.
It’s very clear that the angel’s words are not intended just for the
frightened shepherds. The angel says he is bringing “good news of great joy for
all the people.” This message is for everyone.
It’s for everyone, in the first place, because Jesus came to save the
whole world. That’s precisely what St. Paul says to Titus in our second reading
today: “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.” We find confirmation
of this in chapter three, verse sixteen of St. John’s Gospel, a reference which
we see on signs held up at American football games: “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life.”
But let’s be careful! “The world” and “all people” seems a long way from
me. From my family. My friends.
If there’s good news for all the people, there better be good news for
me—for my messiness, for my troubles, for my sins and fears.
And there is. The engaging Christian writer Rick Warren puts it this
way: “Regardless of your background, religion, problems, or circumstances,
Christmas really is the best news you could get.
“Beneath all the visible sights and sounds of Christmas are some simple
yet profound truths that can transform your life for the better here on earth
and for forever in eternity.”
And, Pastor Warren adds, “it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve
done, or where you’ve been, or where you’re headed—this news is for you.”
So, really, the angel brought the shepherds more than good news—it was
the best news. And if that’s not a reason for joy, what is?
Yet there are still some among us who view Christmas—or Christianity at
least—with anything but joy. It’s about being naughty or nice—mostly naughty.
Rules. Duty. Burdens.
The fact is, you can’t separate Christian faith from joy. St. Paul tells
the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always—not some of the time but all of
the time. In good times and in bad, we can find a baseline of peace in knowing
that we are loved, and that God has a plan for us.
It’s not a feeling, but a conviction—an attitude of gratitude rooted in
belief that the Lord has come and will come again in glory. Our faith in his
appearing brings the blessed hope of his final coming; and between the two, we
live serene in the knowledge that God works for good in all things for those
who love him (Romans 8:28).
Of course, it’s not only Christmas that gives us joyful hope. The baby
in the manger, who becomes the man on the Cross, dies for us. In the most
joyful moment of all history, he rises from the dead. We celebrate this at
Easter with hymns even more glorious than Christmas carols!
Everything we do to serve God and neighbour, however difficult, can be
joyful if we do it in gratitude for what God has done for us by becoming man.
It’s been said that Mother Teresa left happiness to find joy.
In fact, Saint Teresa of Calcutta understood very well the difference
between true joy and mere human happiness at Christmas. She is quoted as saying
“The coming of Jesus at Bethlehem brought joy to the world and to every human
heart. May His coming this Christmas bring to each one of us the peace and joy
He desires to give.”
My trusty dictionary of Catholic spirituality points out that while we
might experience an ecstatic kind of joy from time to time, “the principle aim
of the Christian life is to serve God and neighbour joyfully.”
At the same time, “in the spiritual life, God is the supreme joy and the
greatest delight” (Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality, p. 578).
Four or five weeks ago I promised to give a one-sentence summary of
every homily. Today, what I am saying is that the joy of Christmas is joy to
the world and for every single one of us. I can make that even shorter: Feel the joy!
The angel’s message to the startled shepherds was meant for all of us:
rich, poor, young, old, Christian, and non-believer. It’s a message of joy—a
joy that is personal and that can give meaning and purpose to our challenges
and struggles.
This joy is more powerful than our fears, because ultimately it is
deeper and more real.
We’ve heard the Christmas story
so many times that we can forget it’s not a story. Nothing could be more real
than what took place at Bethlehem when heaven and nature sang.
Even the first words of tonight’s Gospel are intended to remind us that
this event actually happened. St. Luke does not begin “Once upon a time,” like
a fairy tale. He says “In those days,” when Augustus Caesar ruled the Roman
Empire and Quirinius was governor of Syria. Scholars argue about the exact date
but that’s not really the point here. Luke wants to make it clear that we are
talking about a historical event.
A historical event that changed the world. Tonight we ask ourselves
whether we will let it change our world—our hearts, our homes, our society—even
our parish. What will we do with God’s invitation to a more joyful life?
We are going to sing “Joy to the World!” tonight. As we do, will we accept the gift of joy ourselves?
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