Holy Trinity ChurchGaudete Sunday
We are lighting the candles of the Advent Wreath as preparation for the coming celebration of Christmas and the second coming of the Lord. The Advent wreath has three purple candles and one rose candle. We have lit two purple candles, and now it is time to light the rose candle during this Sunday which is called “Gaudete.” Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent in the Catholic Church, takes its name from the Latin word “Gaudete,” meaning “Rejoice,” from the opening antiphon of the Mass: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (cf. Phil. 4:4). It marks a joyful pause in the otherwise penitential season of Advent, reminding the faithful that the coming of Christ is near.
The liturgical color for this day is rose, symbolizing hope and joyful expectation. The prayers and readings highlight themes of joy, encouragement, and renewed anticipation as the Church draws closer to Christmas.
Gaudete Sunday invites believers to rejoice in God’s nearness and to prepare their hearts with gratitude and hope. Therefore, let us celebrate this Gaudete Sunday and our lives with love, enthusiasm, and happiness with a thanksgiving attitude to God, Our Father, for sending us His only begotten Son to be born in a manger, died for us on the Cross, and rose from the dead to give us hope in the eternal life.
Let us pray:
“O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of 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 our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever” (Taken from the Roman Missal – Collect prayer of the third Sunday of Advent).
Remember, The Parish that we dream is the Parish that I help to build!
God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!
Fr. Jorge Ramirez
