This 3rd Sunday of Advent is traditionally called “Gaudete Sunday”. It means “rejoicing Sunday”, from the Latin word, gaudete, to rejoice. The rose candle on the Advent wreath is lit, a sign of joy.

This theme of rejoicing is reflected in our  readings this weekend. The prophet Zephaniah sings to the people, “God is going to do great things for his people. All is well; God is at hand.” Rejoice is also the first word we hear from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

However, the theme changes upon reading the Gospel narrative according to the tradition of Luke: John the Baptist is at the River Jordan not saying “rejoice”; but instead, “repent”.
“Rejoice! Repent!” This dual demand in the face of the coming God is addressed to all of us. It is part of Advent. We await and try to prepare for the coming of the Child Jesus, a child who changes everything. So Zephaniah is right: we are to rejoice, and give thanks to God. And John the Baptist is also right: this wonderful gift will also come as judgment.

If we are going to take seriously the good news of Christmas, then things are going to be very different. For both the joy that Jesus offers and the demands that He makes cannot be truly ours if we remain exactly the people that we are today.

When the crowd at the Jordan River asked “What then shall we do?”, we can imagine John the Baptist saying, “Look at who you are. Begin there. When it comes to sharing, share from what you have. Do not wait until you have more, or until your offering can be of a higher quality. Start now with what is already there. Practice justice where you work. Build fairness and mercy into your present dealings, your present life. Do not wait to be somewhere else, or to be doing something else, or to be someone else. Begin with the road in front of you. Walk that road, and so allow God to transform the real life you live right now.”

Repent and rejoice in all things, with the real life that we live in the real world. It really is a familiar situation. As it is with much else, repentance and rejoicing must be our response to the reality of the coming of the Lord. Rejoice, for what is happening is wonderful. Repent, because from now on, everything will be different.

Sono semipro grate,
Father Erick

(For the 3rd Sunday of Advent)