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Dear Sister and Brother in the Lord:
The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, the
'pink candle' Sunday, the Sunday we light the pink candle on the
Advent wreath. Gaudete is the imperative plural form of the Latin verb
gaudere (to rejoice). It is a command ordering us to rejoice! In these
days of penance and preparation leading up to the feast of our Savior's
birth, it reminds us of the joy that is to come, and serves, amid this
season of penance, as a kind of 'break' when we recall the hope we have
because of the coming of Jesus.
In Advent, we not only celebrate the first coming of our
Lord, but eagerly prepare for His Second Coming as well, when the
restoration of all things takes place. Too often many of us shudder at
the thought of our Lord's coming in glory, as if it were a frightening
event — and certainly it will be for those who knowingly rejected
Jesus. But for Christians who remain faithful it will be our great
deliverance from the troubles and trials of this world. The entire world
will bend the knee — some in terror — but as for God's friends, they
will bend the knee in joyful adoration as Jesus takes His place as King.
The earliest Christians cried 'Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!' expecting
Jesus to come at any moment. So should we. We should long for His return
with our lamps trimmed and our souls ready. It is indeed something to
celebrate, and prepare for. Advent turns our hearts and minds to this
reality.
Should commercialism or the evils of the world get us
down, we need to look at the Advent wreath with its candles burning down
patiently, a new one each week, and the spiral they create, going down
as we light the pink candle this week which fills us with the joy that
we are getting closer and closer to the coming of the Lord. We can place
ourselves on the hillsides with the shepherds in the silent chill with
patient anticipation of they-knew-not-what until the angel told them. We
can imagine the three wise men silhouetted in the brightness of the
Christmas star. And then we can meditate on being in that stable with
the smell of straw, animals, and a beautiful Newborn Who is our hope. We
can let our burdens drop away at the foot of the manger when He smiles
at us. We can receive Him into our arms and hearts as Mary holds Him out
to us as the gentle Joseph looks on. This Child is our victory.
REJOICE! For rejoicing in the Lord must be our strength!
Let’s give our minds and hearts to the Lord!
Father Joe |
