December 14, 2025
This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday — the Third Sunday of Advent. The word Gaudete means Rejoice! The Church gives us this joyful pause halfway through Advent to remind us that the Lord is near.
When I was growing up, I always noticed that the priest wore rose-colored vestments on this Sunday. As a child I wondered, Why pink? My mother would smile and say, “Because we’re almost there!” She was right — Christmas was close, but so was the deeper joy of welcoming Christ into our hearts.
Advent can sometimes feel long. We wait, we prepare, and we hope. Gaudete Sunday tells us to lift our heads and see the light already breaking through. Joy is not something we wait for at the end; it’s something we can live now, even in the middle of the waiting.
Saint Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.” Real joy doesn’t come from things going perfectly, but from knowing that God is with us — Emmanuel — right in the middle of our busy, ordinary lives.
As we light the rose candle this week, may its gentle glow remind us that hope is stronger than darkness and that Christ is very near. Let’s carry that joy with us and share it with those who need a bit of light.
I remember you at Mass.
Hope does not disappoint.
