The third week of Advent invites us to rejoice even as the candles burn against the long nights of waiting. Joy in Christ is not the shallow cheer of circumstance, but the deep flame that endures through hiddenness, dryness, and even suffering.
St. John of the Cross reminds us, “Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction.”
This paradox of Advent joy is that it often arises when we least expect it. In the hidden places where prayer feels barren, where progress seems lost, the soul is in fact being strengthened. As he writes, “In suffering God gives strength, but in action and in joy the soul does but show its own weakness and imperfections.”
True joy is not the absence of suffering, but the discovery of Christ’s presence within it. It is the quiet assurance that even in hiddenness, God is at work—purifying, deepening, and preparing us for the light that is coming.
So this week, as the rose candle flickers, let us rejoice not because life is easy, but because Christ is near. Joy is born in perseverance, in love that does not falter when prayer feels dry, and in the hidden strength God gives when we walk faithfully through the night.
Smitten With Goodness 