| This Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday because the entrance antiphon of the Mass begins, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near" (Philippians 4:4-5). Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming), and by
the third Sunday of Advent, we are most of the way through the season. Thus it is appropriate to rejoice as we see the goal of the season approaching: “The Lord is near.”
Victor Hugo says, “Nothing else in the world…not all the armies…is so powerful as an idea whose time has come.” If an idea can have that much impact, how much more significant is the coming of God at the appointed time!
It's hard to imagine all the emotions Joseph and Mary would have experienced in anticipation of the birth of Jesus. They were two lowly servants whose worlds had been turned upside down as they became key figures in the narrative of salvation history. The transition to parenthood is enough, but add to that that the unfathomable responsibility of caring for and protecting the Promised Redeemer. It's like going from Little League to the World Series all at once! Mary and Joseph would have recognized the enormity of the task, but would have rejoiced in knowing that the Spirit of the Lord was acting
through and with them, and so they could embrace the challenge with joy. We, too, have that same promise: that the Holy Spirit will work in and through us to bring Christ to the world.
In the midst of COVID, with all the ways we are restricted from celebrating, we might find ourselves experiencing a range of negative emotions. Gaudete Sunday reorients us to the true meaning of Christmas, which is cause for rejoicing no matter what our circumstances are. Keep this in your heart over the next
several weeks: "The Lord is near."
This reflection is written by Mary Hallman, Director of Evangelization
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