This week sits right in the middle of Advent, known as Gaudete—from the Latin word for "rejoice." The Church asks us to pause our penitential preparation and celebrate that Christ is drawing near. Zephaniah's prophecy captures this beautifully: "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty saviour; he will rejoice over you with gladness." It's a stunning reversal—we're not just rejoicing in God, but He delights in us. Yet when crowds asked John the Baptist what they should do to prepare for the Messiah, his answer wasn't about religious practices. It was startlingly concrete: "Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise." The gladness the Church invites us into flows from knowing God celebrates us right now, and that knowledge naturally spills over into how we treat others. This creates an interesting challenge in our climate of abundance alongside anxiety. We're surrounded...