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Against the Odds, Gaudeamus

Written by

Jane Sloan

in

It’s Gaudete Sunday, the occasion on which we celebrate the near coming of the Christ child.  Yet today, the country grieves over 20 young lives lost. ”Gaudete” means, roughly, joy.  But the events in Newtown, CT on Friday make it seem absurd to light the rose candle this week.

Joy seems out of place.  Then again, so was He.  He had no business being born in a barn. Of a human.  With animals for company.

And this is our cause for joy, that he came, boldly, humbly, in the midst of darkness.  When we encounter the darkest grief, then, we look, and he is already there, being Joy where no joy can be found.

So we light the rose candle.  We welcome its gentle glow.  We rejoice that the Christ child chooses to be present amidst such rough and tumble human beings, such turpitude, such hollow grief.  Gaudeamus.  We rejoice.

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One response to “Against the Odds, Gaudeamus”

  1. Jake Duncan Avatar
    Jake Duncan

    “Gaudete.” Nothing more or less than an imperative verb, telling us, “Rejoice!” We mourn the loss of those children, yet we can rejoice, since it is highly likely that those five- and six-year-olds had not yet reached the use of reason and thus went directly to Heaven. We mourn the fact that we have lost them, but simultaneously rejoice for what they now have, made possible because Christ was born in that barn, among those animals. He that became food for our souls spent his first night sleeping in a manger. Too many of us don’t even really understand what a manger is. Today, we call it a feed trough. The symbology is profound. Thus, “ponemus gaudere,” that is, we can rejoice, despite the tragedy. And, as you say, we light the rose candle.

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