THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Rejoice the Lord is near’
This is ‘Gaudete’ Sunday. The pink candle is lit on the Advent wreath. It is a call to rejoice because the Lord is near. Is it possible to be joyful in a world laden with bad news, groaning under the shadow of Covid 19? It is possible and the surest way to find it is through building a friendship with Christ. With Him we can look at the world through a different lens, see His fingerprint even in the messiness of things and know that all moments can be healed and that all shall be well. John the Baptist, the ‘greatest of the prophets’ came to understand this truth during his time of prayer, fasting and reflection in the wilderness and when he emerged he constantly and steadfastly directed the attention of his followers beyond himself to Christ. In so doing, he was actually pointing the way to true joy. He had discovered the pearl of great price and from then on, his words and deeds would bear eloquent witness to that discovery. For us, as for John, the pathway to joy will always look like this:
Jesus first; Others second. Yourself last.