It is hard to believe that we have already reached the third Sunday of Advent which is also called “Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday.” This week we light the rose-coloured candle on the advent wreath, as a sign of joy and hope. We focus on Jesus’ coming as the reason to rejoice and we celebrate the joy that comes from knowing that ‘God is with us’.

There are so many issues in the world today that may challenge our need to rejoice. Natural disasters, wars, crime, injustice, hatred, poverty, domestic violence and political strife, may leave us questioning why we should rejoice.

Despite all these troubles, we can find joy in the salvation that comes to us through Jesus Christ. Joy is not just a feeling of happiness or pleasure. It is a deeper sense of peace and gratitude that comes from trusting in God’s love and promises. Joy is not dependent on our circumstances, but on our relationship with God. Joy is powerful. Joy fills us with life, confidence, excitement, love, energy, power! It is a gift that God gives us through His Holy Spirit, and that we can share with others through our words and actions.

We await Jesus’ coming, which brings new hope, new joy, and a new way of being present to each other. We reflect on Jesus’ first coming at his incarnation, but also invite Him to reveal Himself to us in our everyday life, as we wait for His second coming.

On this third Sunday of Advent, the words from the scripture give us a reason to rejoice. Mary’s song of praise to God, “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour”, and in the reading from the prophet Isaiah, “I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God for He has clothed me in the garments of Salvation”. Jesus is our salvation and our hope.

Deacon Michael Khoury