Third Sunday of Advent
Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent! The tone of the liturgy has changed, with rose-colored vestments and Advent candle reflecting the joy of Christ's imminent coming. (A little more imminent this year as we will have barely 24 hours of the 4th week of Advent. The wax of the last purple candle will have barely cooled before it is swapped out for the Creche!)
The Liturgy can hardly contain the joy as we hear over and over again in the readings and prayers: Rejoice! Isaiah tells us Rejoice! St. Paul tells us Rejoice! Mary tells us My spirit rejoices in God my savior.
Why all this rejoicing? Because we hear glad tidings. Christ is coming to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. He's coming to save us from our bondage to sin! He's coming as one of us so that we may be made like Him! He's coming to heal the divisions from when sin entered the world! Let us rejoice!
Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum.
Translated the introit reads:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer let your petitions be made known to God. (Phil 4:4-6)
