Rejoice always! Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. We wear rose vestments and light the rose candle on the Advent wreath. Unlike the purple vestments and dark purple candles, which call us to repentance, the rose candle and rose vestments invite us to have a lightness, a joyful spirit as the end of Advent approaches and the celebration of Christmas draws near. Christmas one week and one day away; are you ready? The word, “Gaudete” is Latin for “rejoice” and, in today’s second reading, we hear St. Paul exhort the community in Rome to “rejoice – always!”
In fact, both the first and the second readings today proclaim a message of joy. The prophet Isaiah proclaims, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.”
St. Paul encourages us to “rejoice always.” And, between these two readings we have an unusual responsorial — not a psalm, as it usually is, but the Canticle of Mary, also known as the Magnificat. The refrain easily connects the two readings: “My soul rejoices in my God,” we hear Mary proclaim, because God has blessed her and through her, all generations, even until today!
So, why all the rejoicing? If Advent is a time for repentance and lamentation, as we have heard in some of the readings these past two Sundays of Advent, why are we exhorted to rejoice today? The answer lies in the promise of the coming of the Lord. Ancient Israel was called to rejoice as they awaited the return of their God in their midst. They thought that God had left them when their temple was destroyed. But the prophet Isaiah assured them God is still with them. Last week, we heard him assure his people that “the glory of the Lord” will, once again, be revealed in their midst. Today, we hear him assure Israel that God will make justice and praise spring up before all the nations. Five hundred years later, we hear St. Paul call the Christians in Rome to rejoice as they anticipate the return of the Lord. We rejoice today because our Lord has, indeed, come and, like the people in ancient Rome, we await the Lord’s return with rejoicing. Some of us may feel as if God has abandoned us. But, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, we are assured that he is always with us and, if we look with eyes of faith, we see signs of God’s kingdom that are already in our midst. And so, we rejoice, our hearts filled with hope.
We live in the time of the “already but not yet.” The kingdom has already come, as Jesus proclaimed, but it has not yet arrived in its fullness. Through his life, death and Resurrection, God’s heavenly kingdom has been re-established. At the same time, we know that the kingdom of God is not to be found in its fullness here on earth. Here, we just get momentary glimpses of it. When we face sickness and death, we are reminded of what Jesus told Pontius Pilate: “my kingdom is not of this world.” We won’t experience God’s kingdom fully until Our Lord returns at the end of time. In the meantime, we rejoice in what has come to pass and rejoice in hope for what is still to come.
And, like John the Baptist, we are called to draw others into this kingdom. In the midst of a world that is filled with strife and discord, we are called to show God’s kingdom of peace and joy. In a world that lives the lie that happiness comes through self-indulgence, we live the Gospel message that proclaims that we find lasting joy in giving of ourselves. In a world that seeks instant gratification, we continue to call those around us to await the only one who can give us lasting joy. Yes, this is a time to rejoice as we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Christ at Christmas and live in joyful expectation of his return in glory when we, like all who have yearned for the Lord, will be invited to rejoice forever in his eternal kingdom. So, rejoice, and share the true joy of this season with everyone you meet!