Week 3 of Advent is all about JOY!

“The desert and 

the parched land will exult…

and rejoice with joyful song…

Those whom the LORD 

has ransomed will return

crowned with everlasting joy;

they will meet with joy and gladness.”

(Isaiah 35:1-10) 

————— 

But in the Franciscan tradition, joy is never shallow. 

“The poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” 

(Matthew 11:5) 

Perfect joy  goes hand in hand with the mystery of poverty revealed in Christ… 

————— 

“O holy poverty, 

God, beyond any doubt, reveals 

eternal glory and blessed life to 

those who have and desire her! 

“O God-centered poverty, 

Whom the Lord Jesus Christ came 

down to embrace before all else!” 

(St. Clare of Assisi) 

————— 

Among all the virtues 

which prepare in us a dwelling for God, 

Holy Poverty shines before them all.  

For she is the foundation  

and guardian of all virtues. 

(The Sacred Exchange) 

————— 

Franciscan joy is a paradox: 

the less we cling to, 

the more our hearts expand. 

Letting go of control, 

of self-importance, 

of what we think we must have— 

this is the joyful poverty  

we are invited into. 

When nothing is “ours,” 

nothing can be taken away 

and everything is received as gift. 

And joy breaks forth. 

————— 

But, this is a joy that transforms: 
 
With nothing to grasp, 

our fears dissolve  

and freedom grows: 

the freedom to love as Christ loves. 

What would joyful poverty set free in you? 

————— 

“Nothing belongs to you… 

But we can boast in our weaknesses 

and in carrying each day 

the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

(St Francis in the Admonitions) 

Perfect joy blooms when nothing  

stands between us and  

the God-who-became-poor for us. 

Advent Joy Call to Action 

This week, choose one act of joyful poverty: 

Do one task you think is “beneath you” slowly and lovingly. 

Offer praise and thanks for something you usually take for granted. 

Let go of one expectation that keeps you anxious or closed off to others. 

Spend 1 hour with no possessions (no phone, no agenda), simply receiving life as gift. 

Bless someone who irritates you by name, in prayer, with honesty. 

Reflect: Who is the poor Christ in my life, and how can I joyfully spend time with Him? 

What practice will make more room for Christ in your life this week?