We lit the third advent candle last Sunday. This was Gaudete Sunday—or Rejoice Sunday. Waiting is hard, but when we see the third candle lit, we know that the promise of the nativity is almost here. And with that, we look forward with Joy and Gladness to the end of the wait.
We are living in a time when hope is difficult. We have been waiting for nearly two years now for the return to normalcy. Many have given up on such a time ever returning. In the liturgical calendar, it is easy to know when we’ve hit the 3/4 mark in the season of advent waiting, when the wait is almost over, when it’s time to express gladness. On the secular calendar of contemporary human events, we are not so lucky. How do we know when it’s time to begin the celebration of the end of waiting? Do we dare show joy with each glimmer of hope toward an end of angst? Or will our hope simply be dashed?
This year, let’s allow the Gaudete candle to give us reassurance that a time of gladness will come… even if we aren’t sure when.
Leave a Reply