Gaudete Sunday…This is the Third Sunday of Advent, and as with the Fourth Sunday in Lent, is a day of great joy even in the midst of a penitential season. Note that this Sunday we light the pink candle in the Advent Wreath and we focus on the third wreath on the front wall of the church, the one with a pink bow raised higher than the other three wreaths. The color pink, different from the purple worn and used in the other Sundays of Advent, symbolizes our "greater" level of joy expressed this Sunday.
As we continue along on our Advent pilgrimage we have a new vantage point today—as if we have rounded the corner on a long road—and can see what lies ahead of us: Christmas and the joy of the Incarnation of Christ our Lord and the Salvation of humankind. And this Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, which means "rejoice" comes from the entrance antiphon of the day, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4-5). We will also hear the word "rejoice" in the readings for today and in the prayers of the Church this day.
Joy, Joy, Joy…down in my heart…The Lord is also filled with joy. God will make "justice and praise" (Isaiah 61:11) spring from the earth as naturally as plants growing in a garden. Today’s first reading is from Isaiah and in today’s Gospel Jesus applies this reading to Himself. After His baptism and temptation in the desert, Jesus took the scroll and read this passage to the people. The Servant of the Lord is both prophet (gifted with the Spirit) and King (anointed by the Lord). The Lord’s mission is to those society looks down on: the poor, the brokenhearted, the captive, the prisoner. He brings a jubilee, a time of forgiveness, a “year of favor” (Isaiah 61:2). In the second reading from Saint Paul to the Thessalonians Paul urges us to also rejoice, to pray, to give thanks, and to listen. ―We are not to quench the Spirit‖ rather, we are to "test everything" and keep what is good. By this we may grow in holiness and be ready for the Second Coming of the Lord.
The Gospel of John simply states that John came to give "testimony" to the light, which is Christ our Lord. The priests of the day test John, for they are afraid that he is about to turn every-thing of their religious practices upside down. But John tells them right upfront, "I am not the Christ," rather I am "the voice of one crying out in the desert." He, John, is the forerunner Isaiah foretold. John tells the priest that the one you are afraid of is already here…
While John was speaking of the actual Jesus, we can also hear in John’s words that Christ is already here in you, the people of His church. In all that you do in His name, in all that you pray in His name, in all the goodness you do and the righteousness that you carry out in this world—the love for your family, the faithfulness for your spouse, the fidelity to your commitments, the support you give in charity such as the Christmas Giving Tree or the support of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, or the time and talent offered in community to rebuild the food pantry at another parish, the supplies your bought and collected for Family Life Agency and the mothers in need—in all these things said and done in His name are manifestations of Jesus in our world.
Rejoice then, for the Lord is here — in each and all of you.
Peace!
