The Lord is Near

“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”

Today, the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent. The name of this Sunday comes from the first word of the above Entrance Antiphon, sung at the start of the Mass today, which in Latin is Gaudete.

Each Sunday, and even each day of the week at daily Mass, throughout the season of Advent, the Entrance Antiphon for each Mass builds in growing anticipation of the coming birth of the Messiah. Last Sunday’s antiphon was “O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart.”, and next Sunday, the final Sunday of Advent, will be “Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Savior.” There is this progression as we, and even the earth around us, prepare for the imminent arrival of the Christ, but today on Gaudete Sunday, this suspense reaches the penultimate moment in a crescendo of excitement. This is expressed through the rose vestments worn by the clergy, the addition of some flowers, the arrival of Mary and Joseph to the nativity set, and, of course, our rejoicing together as called for by the antiphon.

Even the readings for the Mass express this blossoming joy of anticipation, with the First Reading saying: “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song… Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.”

Very soon, our church and our hearts will welcome the birth of the Christ child, having spent four weeks in preparation and anticipation for Him. The time we then celebrate his birth is not just one day; in fact, Christmas is a whole Liturgical Season lasting until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on January 11th. Then, after that, our church will retain some of that festive joy, especially through the continued use of the Christmas trees” through a period of time called “Epiphanytide,” which lasts until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd, which celebrates when he was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem with his mother in accordance with Jewish law. Gaudete, rejoice, the Lord is near.