Week III: Joy
The Third Week of Advent begins with Gaudete (Joyful) Sunday, and this week is focused on the joy of the Christian life. Since Advent is a penitential season, akin to a "mini" Lent, the Church celebrates a day of joy and hope as we draw closer to the end of Advent and the arrival of Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord. The most noticeable shift in liturgy on Gaudete Sunday is the use of rose-colored vestments, which are only used on a handful of feast days or Solemnities.
Gaudete Sunday celebrates the joy we as Christians feel as we contemplate the hope of the Savior with the gift of Christ's Incarnation. The first two weeks of Advent centered on hope and love must be seen and understood in order to realize the full depth of the third week of Advent and Gaudete Sunday. Our joy results from both our hope in the Lord and our love for him.
The Vatican Liturgical Commission states, "Our reason for hope is intimately tied to our waiting, which is characteristic of the liturgy of the Third Sunday: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! The Lord is near" (Phil 4,4-5) (3).
It is Christ himself who is the subject of Christian hope, the mystery hidden in time and now revealed: 'Christ among you, your hope of glory' (Col 1, 27)" (Journeying Through the Liturgical Year). The joy that stems from meditating on the saving action behind the incarnation of Christ is enough to make anyone excited and grateful for a loving God!
We are incredibly blessed to be able to experience Christ's presence in our day to day life, and his presence is even more manifested at Mass and in the Eucharist. Even under the form of bread and wine, Jesus knows our human tendencies and relates to us, and he asks us to relate to him. The joy we feel from coming to know Christ more should also affect our day-to-day actions. We must be joyful whether we are at the grocery store, the gym, with friends and family, and even driving; the joy of the Gospel and Jesus's life must penetrate all parts of our life. Pope Francis explains how Christians should be witnesses of joy saying, "consequently, an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that 'delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow… And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first received the
joy of Christ'” The virtues of Advent are connected, leading into each other, and slowly helping the faithful better understand Jesus and the mission we are called to be a part of.
Part of living a joy-filled life in light of the Gospels is recognizing the presence of Christ in one's day-to-day life. By being mindful of his presence, we are more able to witness to the hope and love of Christ and become better disciples along the road of life.
We invite you to pray about the virtue of joy with these scripture passages and accompanying reflection questions
- Isaiah 9:2-6
Do we allow Christ to give us joy and to take away our burdens, or do we dwell on them, not allowing him to heal us?
- Zephaniah 3:14-18
When we are in prayer, do you try to talk to and listen to Jesus? If not, try it.
- Luke 3:10-18
