Advent Meditations: Sunday 15 December

Dec 15, 2019 by

                                                                                                                                          

Sun
Dec 15
am : 146
pm: 12,14
Isa 35:1-10 James 5:7-10 Matt 11:2-11

 

Liturgical Notes on the Third Sunday of Advent:  This third week begins with “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin.  It comes from the first word of the Entrance antiphon on Sunday.  The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of Paul, ” which is: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5). In the Latin, the first word of the antiphon is gaudete (Latin, “rejoice”; it’s also pronounced with three syllables: gau-de-te). As Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming), it is most appropriate to rejoice as we see the goal of the season approaching: “The Lord is near.”

This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose colored, and the rose colored vestments often used at the Eucharist.  Advent in the Latin Rite is  a penitential season, a type of mini- Lent, where in contrast to Sarum Blue the liturgical color is purple. Thus, on Gaudete Sunday, marking the midpoint of Advent, the Church lightens the mood a little, and the priest may wear rose vestments as it does in Lent with Laetare Sunday. The change in color provides us with encouragement to continue our spiritual preparation—especially prayer and fasting—for Christmas.

Biblical Meditation In today’s Gospel we hear a question that is often our question when we hear  John ask Jesus: “Are you the one?” . The answer is tricky of course initially it is … “Yes,   but for the people at the time of Jesus as well as for ourselves, he perhaps is not the one we expect him to be! For John, the question comes not about because of a demand that he has, but rather a moment of desperation as he has been struggling in prison and was hoping that the Messiah would forcibly take control of His kingdom, which was the expectation of many of the Messiah.  Of course many at that time were seeking a King rather than a Savior. Sadly it may not be any different today in the church and in the world. Some are expecting a magician rather than a Savior, others a scapegoat instead of a Savior. Even in this very holy season we struggle with the expectations of Christmas time as opposed to Christ Mass.

Many want this season to be fun, with lights and parties and there is nothing amiss about that but Christ Mass is not about fun. It’s about our coming to terms with our need for redemption and the fantastic idea that our greatest Hope was born in a stable. Could this really be the one we are to place all our hope? Rejoice it is!

PRAYER:  O God, we your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity,
enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of this season focusing on the gift of salvation with right reverence and glad rejoicing. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Spiritual Discipline /Activity — Rose Sunday is the day that custom has it that we begin to decorate our homes for the holydays to come. One starts with the front door and concludes with the Christmas tree. Let the world know that they are welcome in your house and that the birth of Christ is being prepared to be celebrated there. As the town of Bethlehem, ‘awaited the the birth of Jesus, how can we ‘take the extra step’ to prepare with joy, something special and well done to express our hospitality to loved ones and the Poor?

 

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other. – St. Augustine –Works and Biography

 

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