From the Pastor's Desk | December 15, 2024

Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.

Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione et obsecratione cum gratiarum actione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum. Benedixisti Domine terram tuam: avertisti captivitatem Jacob.

This is the opening antiphon (introit) for Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent.  This particular Sunday is often called Gaudete Sunday, taken from the first word of the introit.  The readings this week take a more joyful, sweet, celebratory tone as compared to the previous two weeks of Advent.  We are getting very close to the great solemnity of Christmas!  

I love the Christmas feels (pardon my slang).  It is my favorite time of year (and as soon as it is over, bring on summer!).  You can really feel the joy and sweetness in the first reading from the prophet Zepheniah.  There is, however, a particular line in the first reading that should remind us that we can always rejoice.  We don’t have to wait for Christmas to rejoice in the Lord’s closeness because “the Lord is in [our] midst.”  Christmas communicates to us God’s closeness - God’s longing to be close to us.  That’s why He took on flesh in the incarnation and became man.  He remains close to us, sacramentally.  Though hidden under the forms of bread and wine, God is indeed close to us.  He is so close to us that, when we consume Him in the Eucharist, He gives us a share of His divinity and His sanctifying grace.  How can we not rejoice?!

We even get a sense of God’s closeness in our Gospel when John the Baptist tells his disciples, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  This should call to mind for us Pentecost, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon His Apostles as their advocate and guide.  Tied closely to Pentecost is the Sacrament of Confirmation, the completion of baptism when each of us made a mature affirmation of what we first received in baptism.  Confirmation strengthens and seals for us our baptism and further communicates God’s closeness in and through the Holy Spirit.  

As we continue our preparation for Christ’s coming - His second coming - and as we prepare for the great solemnity of Christmas, let us rejoice in God’s closeness.  Let us walk in the confidence that He is close even if or when He doesn’t feel close.  He has never abandoned us nor will He.  For that we can rejoice and remain thankful! 
Know of my prayers for you all! 
Fr. Ryan