Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near.

Entrance Antiphon Third Sunday of Advent

Dear friends,

Our attitude and focus shift this week as we light the third candle on our Advent wreath. This week is Gaudete Sunday and we mark this joyful celebration with the color Rose. Gaudete means Rejoice! With boldness St. Paul repeats this word to us in the entrance antiphon. He is highlighting the great anticipation we have in these last days of Advent and the great joy that awaits us as He who is our salvation is coming to us soon.

With great solemnity and joy we celebrated the feasts of Our Lady last week. First we celebrated her Immaculate Conception through which the plan of our salvation began in time in the world. Then we celebrated her revelation to the people of Mexico and to the world, as Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most tender mother of the True God sent to guide us on our way to Him.

This week, as we come into the home stretch, we can think about Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. Mary is nine months pregnant and ready to give birth any day. Obedient to the call to be registered, Joseph packs up his beautiful bride and they head out. There is great anticipation as they journey, for the child could come at any time. Yet, they trust that the One who began this great plan would bring it to fruition in a most perfect way. On the way they would have had to stay with friends, relatives, at inns, etc. In these nine days preceding Christmas we remember their journey with a Spanish tradition called Posadas. The focus of the posadas is the arrival of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and their being greeted by the innkeeper with the words, “We have no room.” From the East we remember the journey of the wise men and the shepherds who saw the star and were led to the manger. In these nine days leading up to Christmas, the Filipino tradition is to focus on the star (parol) that leads us to Jesus. Once again this year we will have Fr. Angelo Te with us to celebrate the Simbang Gabi Mass at St. Andrew. It is one of nine Masses that will take place for the novena in Pierce Co. We will have the Mass on Monday Dec. 16 at 7pm. I encourage you to come and prepare your heart at this celebration to focus on the star that will illumine the way to Christ in these days and for the days and years to come.

We rejoice with Mary in anticipation of the birth of our Savior. She will guide you in these days to prepare your heart to receive Him as she did in the cave that night in Bethlehem. Let the Holy Family show you the way to Bethlehem so that you and your family can truly know the greatest gift, Emmanuel, God with us.

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

Through Christ our Lord.

Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

Fr. Jack D. Shrum