Meditations: Third Sunday in Advent

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, “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 in daily life: “What then are we to do?”  . The  backstory on this question of course is the call of John the Baptizer for us to change direction, change course and simply repent. For John, the question comes not about because of his sense of the immanence of the arrival of the  Messiah It’s the question we ask when faced with the essential choice of life. To follow the path of holiness or to follow the path of self centeredness. The call to have a change of heart is a realization that we have come face to face with a ultimate reality bigger than ourselves. The response to the call to have a change of heart should not occur because one is scared or overwhelmed but because one seeks to have a deeper and authentic life. 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? If we can come to this place than this truly is a Sunday to  Rejoice!

PRAYER: Incline Thine ear to our prayers, O Lord, we beseech Thee; and make bright the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

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 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