Today we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath as we celebrate Gaudete Sunday – Gaudete from the Greek: to rejoice. And so we add a new dimension to our Advent waiting -- joyfulness!
And from the prophet Isiah we hear an early version of Mary’s message, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior” because the One Who was, Who is and Who is yet to come, is on His way! In Mary’s case she was carrying the long awaited One for his first appearance amongst us, as one of us!
But for us, our spirits rejoice in God our savior for Christ has come and will come again! But how can we rejoice in the midst of all the problems of our own lives, not to mention the immense suffering and tragedies unfolding in the world around us in the midst of wars and threats of more wars that are ravaging and destroying so many people’s lives?
Joy, in the midst of the sorrow and suffering of those grieving the loss of their loved ones? It all seems a bit much! Yet that is precisely what scripture is calling us to -- be joyful in the midst of our anger, in the midst of our fear and trembling, to trust in God understanding that in the midst of all of our fear and worries, God is present with us. Present with us in the midst of our suffering and loss, and loving us through it all! For we are God’s beloved! That is our core identity: the beloved of God!
John the Baptist proclaims the coming of the Messiah. But, in truth the messiah he was proclaiming was not the messiah that all the people and religious leaders of the day thought was coming – no, One much greater was coming. God’s very self, in the flesh; Emmanuel…God with us! And for that we rejoice because in the midst of all of our brokenness and suffering and grief and fear, we are deeply and passionately loved by God, just as we are!
And so on this Gaudete Sunday we rejoice in being perfectly loved and perfectly forgiven! How can I share this amazing “good news” with others this Advent season, and throughout the year?
Advent blessings,
Fr. Tim
And from the prophet Isiah we hear an early version of Mary’s message, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior” because the One Who was, Who is and Who is yet to come, is on His way! In Mary’s case she was carrying the long awaited One for his first appearance amongst us, as one of us!
But for us, our spirits rejoice in God our savior for Christ has come and will come again! But how can we rejoice in the midst of all the problems of our own lives, not to mention the immense suffering and tragedies unfolding in the world around us in the midst of wars and threats of more wars that are ravaging and destroying so many people’s lives?
Joy, in the midst of the sorrow and suffering of those grieving the loss of their loved ones? It all seems a bit much! Yet that is precisely what scripture is calling us to -- be joyful in the midst of our anger, in the midst of our fear and trembling, to trust in God understanding that in the midst of all of our fear and worries, God is present with us. Present with us in the midst of our suffering and loss, and loving us through it all! For we are God’s beloved! That is our core identity: the beloved of God!
John the Baptist proclaims the coming of the Messiah. But, in truth the messiah he was proclaiming was not the messiah that all the people and religious leaders of the day thought was coming – no, One much greater was coming. God’s very self, in the flesh; Emmanuel…God with us! And for that we rejoice because in the midst of all of our brokenness and suffering and grief and fear, we are deeply and passionately loved by God, just as we are!
And so on this Gaudete Sunday we rejoice in being perfectly loved and perfectly forgiven! How can I share this amazing “good news” with others this Advent season, and throughout the year?
Advent blessings,
Fr. Tim
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