This Third Sunday of Advent is commonly known as Gaudete Sunday. The word “gaudete” is derived from the Latin word “gaudeo,” meaning to rejoice or to be glad. The term “Gaudete" is taken from the Entrance Antiphon for today’s mass: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near”. In many ways, joy should be a virtue we strive for in our faith each day. Sister Faustina once said: "Act in a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow happiness about you because you have received much from God."
In many ways, we can see this third Sunday of Advent as calling us to a time of joy and gladness that has its foundation in thankfulness and gratitude. We are to give thanks that we have been given the promise of the Savior who has come, who is present, and who promises to return.
It may seem like joy is in short supply in our world today. With so much divisiveness politically and socially in our country and throughout the world, many people seem to be on edge and seem to be anything but joyful. In an article on joy published by the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale University Divinity School. the center noted the lack of joy in our modern human lives by stating, “the very idea of joy has all but disappeared from modern theological reflection, is all but ignored by the social sciences, and is increasingly absent from lived experience.” But, the trajectory of our Advent journey is to lead us to joy, as in the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, the angel declares that our Savior will be born into the world and he is the one who will bring us great joy. The joy we are to feel in our faith and in the birth of the Savior is very different from the human emotion of happiness. We are to rejoice in our faith and to feel joy in our hearts as a result of being united with Christ in love. In this love, we receive the birth of Christ into the world and into our hearts. This feeling of joy is rooted in Christ’s presence in our lives and the way he is able to transform us and mold us. It is a joy that is way beyond any happiness we might feel from an earthly pleasure.
We light our third candle on the Advent wreath this weekend, the rose colored candle. As we contemplate our Advent wreath and the symbols of our Advent journey, may we see ourselves as an extension of the light of Christ shining in the world. Let us think of how our baptismal candle was lit from the paschal candle at the time of our baptism, how the light of Christ was transmitted to us and how we are called to keep that light burning brightly in our hearts. May that light bring the joy of Christ to the world.
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