Short Ramblings On Gaudete Sunday

This upcoming Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.

Gaudete means “to rejoice.” Advent is just over half-way through. We have only a short time until Christmas, the day of the breath-taking mystery of God’s descent into humanity – certainly a great reason for rejoicing.

I always feel like the weeks before Christmas go too quickly. I have trouble really immersing myself in the time, really spending time anticipating the great event of Christmas. Advent should be a time to slow down, a time to try to grapple a bit with the immensity of what Christmas really is.

We humans are often rather bad at that, I think. We don’t always like digging deep into things. We like scurrying from thing to thing, only touching the shallows. It’s easier that way…I should know, because I do it far too much myself. I don’t know if this tendency we have is purely due to the fact that deep reflection requires real mental effort (which, let’s be honest, we’d often rather just go without), or whether the fact that deep reflection is often personally humbling has anything to do with it as well. Perhaps it’s due to both those things.

In any case, Advent is a time to apply the brakes, to force ourselves to slow down a bit. Rejoicing isn’t just a state of mind that you can automatically turn on when desired. It requires a bit of effort on our part; without spending time absorbing and soaking in the true meaning of what we are rejoicing about, we can’t really rejoice in any deep or meaningful way. And there are certainly deep and meaningful things to rejoice about.

For to us a Child is born,

    to us a Son is given;

and the government will be upon His Shoulder,

    and His Name will be called

“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

– Isaiah 9:6

Happy (early) Gaudete Sunday! Rejoice, for His coming is near.