Sunday, December 17, 2023
The season of Advent is a time of preparation and joyful anticipation. Churches reverberate with special advent songs; homes are decorated with candles and wreaths; and we joyfully await to celebrate the occasion of Christ’s nativity and also His second coming. During this Advent time, we turn to prayer, reflection, and acts of charity. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near.” This comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippians and on the occasion of the third Sunday of Advent, the Church reminds us to rejoice by making today “Gaudete Sunday” and by the readings selected for this day. Gaudete is a Latin word meaning to rejoice or be joyful! The Old Testament, New Testament and Gospel readings for today are full of joyful anticipation and the Responsorial Psalm reading is actually not a Psalm but a selection from the Canticle of Mary from Luke’s Gospel. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Luke 1:46,47.
Today’s New Testament reading is taken from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. The epistle was written around the year 51 AD and is believed to be one of the earliest written New Testament texts. St. Paul writes: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
We rejoice always knowing that Christ is already here among us. John the Baptist called Jesus the light and testified to His coming. We are also called to be witnesses to Christ who’s already present in the world. The way we live our lives reflects God’s light, His love and presence onto the lives of others among us who might be struggling to see them.
We pray without ceasing for challenges we face and for those faced by people in our lives. We pray for wisdom, hope, increased faith and increased trust in Him. We bring our needs and longings as well as those of others to God. We pray for forgiveness for all the times we fall short of God’s will for us. And we pray for Jesus’ return.
We give thanks in all circumstances and we remember with gratitude God’s mercy towards us. This is something we easily can put into practice every day. When we’re in church, let us give thanks for the Celebrant and all involved in the mass bringing the Word of God and Eucharist to us. When we’re standing in line to pay for groceries, let us give thanks for God’s bounty and all who toiled to bring it to us. We can give thanks, always.
In joyful anticipation and for the week ahead, let us take the words of St. John of the Cross to heart: “Seek by reading and you will find by meditating. Knock by praying, and it will be opened to you in contemplation.”
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.