“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad: the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus…” (Is 35:1)
Peace yields to an irrepressible, glorious Joy. Once the soul is anchored in Hope and settled in Peace, it is filled with the assurance of God’s invincible victory.
This exuberant flame—often rendered in rose to mark the turning point of the season—is the resounding cry of the Magnificat, the gladness of the expectant mother.
It is the foretaste of the angel’s proclamation: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10). Our hearts leap because the triumph of God over the powers of death and Satan is already sealed.