Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This weekend marks the third Sunday of Advent already which is hard to believe in some ways. And while every week in Advent is significant, this week offers an added theme for our consideration. It stands out with the use of the color pink/rose and the Church refers to it as Gaudete Sunday.
Advent is often seen as a time of hope, a time of expectation, a time of preparation; and rightly so. But in this week, the idea of ‘rejoicing’ is given to us with the celebration of Gaudete Sunday. You would think that having joy and participating in it would be a rather natural thing and we don’t need much of a reminder of it, either liturgically or otherwise. But sure, ok, let’s rejoice, because the coming of Christ and Christmas are quickly approaching. However, the Latin name belies an even stronger message than being joyful.
Like many of the named Sundays throughout the year (Laetare Sunday being the other primary example), the name itself comes from the Entrance Antiphon that is provided for the day. And typically, those antiphons are verses of Scripture, selected to reflect part of the theme of the Mass being celebrated. In the case of Gaudete Sunday, the quote comes from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice!” (4:4). It’s short, snappy, and to the point. But there’s a little bit more going on in the original Greek and then the Latin than we might notice in the English. On the surface, Paul is giving us a good reminder of the importance of finding joy in the Lord. However, in those other languages, it’s not written as a reminder or a suggestion, but rather as a command. You must rejoice is more the emphasis that Paul is giving, going so far as to reiterate the point a second time.
Who needs to be told to be joyful? And who does Paul think he is in telling us so? But my friends, if we take a moment and think about our daily lives, I’m sure we can all recall moments where it might be challenging to rejoice. So much of the Advent season plays with the themes of light and darkness. And in these days when the sun rises late and sets so early, looking for light is a natural thing against the presence of the dark. Our lives are full of challenges; whether it’s the end of the year things that seem to pile up at work, or the fact that it’s cold and dark and moods are affected by it, or the busyness that insists on taking away our joy as we rush to get everything done in time. Many of us are dealing with much more as well. But the joy of the Lord is meant to be something we know and draw strength from. And Gaudete Sunday is a strong reminder of that.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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