The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called the “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete is a Latin word which means rejoice. We rejoice because we are already half way through in our Advent preparation, marked with interior reflection and conversion so that when Christmas arrives, our hearts and our whole being can be the new stables for Christ. Liturgically, this Sunday we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath and the priest wears the rose vestment to emphasize our joy that Christmas is getting closer.
Reflecting on the readings, we can see that they not only emphasize the spirit of joy, but they also propose some attitudes on how we should prepare for the Lord’s coming.
In the First Reading, we heard of the prophet Isaiah saying, “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God… who comes to save you”. And those who would be ransomed by the Lord will be crowned with everlasting joy. As Christians, we are being saved in and by Christ. His offer of salvation is a gift which must be acknowledged with much joy. But this joy seems to have now disappeared with what the world offers. Faith becomes relative and salvation is no longer felt as God’s gift, but a burden to one’s living. We need to go back to the original joy that was brought to us by Christ.
In the Second Reading, the Letter of James tells us of another attitude which is one of patience. “Be patient… until the coming of the Lord.” Since we do not know the exact time of the Lord’s second coming, it is fitting to wait for it more patiently. But this value runs counter to what the world teaches today where everyone wants everything instantly and quickly, especially with the advancement of technology. Things that come to us this way are being considered as good. But things which come too slow are simply bad and useless. In this case, patience cannot be considered as a value. This could have an effect with our attitude toward the Lord’s coming because we need to wait patiently.
In the gospel, we heard of John who seemingly doubts whether Jesus is the person whom he and his disciples should expect. John has the reason to think or feel that way because he was expecting more of a fiery Messiah. But John patiently attempts to reflect and discern if Jesus is truly the Messiah. In the end, he acknowledges that indeed Jesus is. In today’s world, the number of doubters is rising. In fact, more and more people want to dissociate Christ from the Christmas celebration. They want it to appear that what we do during the Christmas season is just a mere holiday devoid of Christ. But we Christians are well aware that we cannot separate Christ from Christmas. It is His birth which we remember in this joyous season.
The readings tell us of the proper attitude while waiting for the Lord’s coming. We are expecting a very important person who offers us the most precious gift, and that is salvation. And thus, we cannot afford to simply forget and doubt Him. He deserves to be waited for with joy and patience!