The blessing of Gaudete Sunday
On Sunday 15 December 2024 we celebrated Gaudete Sunday. On this day Catholic priests wear rose colored vestments at Mass. The rose color is a symbol of joy and hope. This color is a transitioning from the penitential purple of Advent towards the white of Christmas.
Even today, on the third week of Advent, as we light the Shepherd’s Candle, that is pink and represents joy, it reminds us that we are filled with joy for the near arrival of Jesus on Christmas day. This Sunday, often called Gaudete Sunday, presents to us through its various readings the power of joy. In the first reading taken from the Prophet of Zephaniah 3:14-18a, we find these joy phrases: Shout for joy, Sing joyfully, Be glad and exult with all your heart, he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. Obviously, when Jerusalem is faced with so much joy, she is to Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior.
Hence, the responsorial verse from the reading taken from Isaiah: 12:2-6, in the form of Psalm says it all: Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. This is so because God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.
Within the same tone of joy we have the second reading taken from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 4:4-7. Here St Paul advises us: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In what way shall you and I be joyful? We are joyful when we serve others. In Luke 4:18 we encounter this verse before the Gospel of the day which tells us: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Whereas in the Gospel doing what is right means preparing oneself for the coming of the Messiah. According to John the Baptist this includes sharing with the poor and be accountable when using one’s power position. As Pope Francis rightly teaches us in his Angelus address of January 15, 2023, John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord by being a servant and give space for others to grow in their own merit. We too need to learn this important lesson from him. He told us:
This declaration, this witness, reveals John’s spirit of service. He was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, and had done so without sparing himself. Humanly speaking, one would think that he would be given a “prize”, a prominent place in Jesus’ public life. But no. (…) John does this: he sets his disciples in Jesus’ footsteps. He is not interested in having a following for himself. (…) Brothers, sisters, let us try to ask ourselves: are we capable of making space for others? Of listening to them, of leaving them free, of not binding them to ourselves, demanding recognition? And also of letting them speak at times. Not saying, “But you know nothing!”. Letting them speak, making space for others. Do we attract others to Jesus, or to ourselves? And furthermore, following John’s example: do we know how to rejoice in the fact that people take their own path and follow their calling, even if this entails some detachment from us? Do we rejoice in their achievements, with sincerity and without envy? This is letting others grow.
Lord give me the grace to serve you in others and let you grow in your own pace. This brings true joy not only in the ones I serve but, and first and foremost, in myself. Amen.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
