The Bishop of Córdoba (Spain), Bishop Demetrio Fernández, exposes in his weekly letter the risk of living the time before Christmas under the poorly understood “extortion of joy” focused on indulging in food, drink and gifts .
On the occasion of the celebration of “Christian Joy Sunday,” Bishop Fernández maintains that “the human heart is made to be loved and to love, and until it discovers love, it does not feel satisfied and happy.”
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After pointing out that the central message of the Gospel is that “God loves you, even if you have not realized it,” the prelate emphasizes that “God awaits your response of love” and that “the human heart is made for joy, not for sadness”.
In case circumstances lead us to sadness, the third Sunday of Advent “wants to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, motivating it to joy. Because Christmas is a festival of joy,” says Mons. Fernández.
“Now, it is possible that we receive this joy or live it crookedly,” warns the prelate, because these days “we are invaded by the consumer society, the continuous incitement to find happiness in having, in pleasure.”
“Everything around us invites us to consume, to spend, to enjoy. For many, Christmas will be just that, spending the extra pay on indulging in food, drink, gifts, etc. And this extortion of joy will make us reach January with a hangover that is difficult to overcome,” emphasizes the Bishop of Córdoba.
Faced with this temptation, the prelate invites us to keep in mind that “the joy of Christmas comes through another channel” which is that of the closeness of the Lord “who becomes a defenseless and fragile man, who represents all the fragile people of the world.” world, and arouses in us a compassion that incites us to surrender.”
The prelate concludes by recalling that “the Christian liturgy has the capacity to truly bring us the mystery that we celebrate” in which God wants to enter our lives and “invite us to a lasting friendship” in which “the nativity scene, the Child and his parents, the shepherds and the wise men once again occupy the foreground of our attention.”
Following the example of the children, Mons. Fernández invites them to prepare their hearts to receive Jesus by asking the Virgin for “a heart like his, to welcome him as he deserves.”
Furthermore, he expresses his wish that “the preparation of these days makes us focus on the essential, leaving the accessory and not allowing that to distract us from the mystery.”
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.