Third sunday of Advent
The third Sunday of Advent is also known as Gaudete Sunday. In some places Rose vestments are used and we light the rose candle on the Advent wreath. It is the advent Sunday when we rejoice as we look forward to the birth of Jesus. Many parishes are also celebrating Bambinelli Sunday. This is a Roman tradition where the priest will bless the baby Jesus from family cribs brought to Mass by the children on Gaudete Sunday. Then on Christmas Morning they place the baby in the crib in the family home and say a prayer. Our first reading tells us that prophet was sent to bring good news to the poor Anointed by God, he tells us I am sent to bring hope to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, and proclaim freedom. Clothed in salvation, I joyfully await God’s justice to flourish.
We are also called by god and sent out to bring hope to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, and proclaim freedom, as we joyfully await God’s justice to flourish through Jesus his son. In this psalm for Mass that is part of the Magnificat Mary proclaims God’s greatness as she announces what God has done for her and will do for the all those who have turned to God the father for help. The second reading tells us to rejoice always, pray ceaselessly, and give thanks in all situations we find ourselves. We know that god has called us to follow him and he will not let us down because he is faithful. Our Gospel story tells us about John the Baptist who was the voice crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. John the Evangelist presented the Baptist as God’s witness, the one who spoke eternal truth in a transient world. John’s message and ministry of a repentant baptism prefigured Christ’s. John baptized in the spirit of hope and we live in the spirit of hope. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan realized that hope.
Those baptized by John looked forward to a life with God. Those baptized by the Christ lived in God as we live in God. The joy of Christmas will come to us if we set about actively trying to create the same joy for others. The Joy we have at Christmas is not about the Secular Razzmatazz of the ongoing parties instead it is about Jesus Christ the Son of God who is for us the light in the darkness. It is about reaching out to others family members, friends and relations those who we might not value as much as we should. On Gaudete Sunday we joyfully praise God. We thank him for all he has done for us in our own lives and in the lives of all those who are dear to us, families and friends. We rejoice that through the coming of his Son Jesus we have come to know god as our Father. We do what we can to imitate Jesus life, to follow his Gospel in a spirit of joy. As we continue our Advent journey in the run up to Christmas with all its chaos let us stop and take the time to prepare the way for the Lord remembering that the words of the entrance antiphon for Gaudete Sunday rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. the Lord is near.
Fullerton T 