Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete (gow-day-tay) Sunday. Certain Christian Churches celebrate this day to interrupt the usual seasonal Advent colors, a penitential purple (I'm sorry for my sins, God!) feeling, with rose-pink, joyful colors in the third Advent candle and in the priest's vestments (robes). It was a most joyful occasion! Father Gino succeeded in getting the whole congregation excited! We sung "Rejoice!" many times over this morning! Yes, we only have TEN DAYS and we can celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas!
It never ceases to amaze me the many new things I learn about my religion, God, Jesus, and all things holy every year! Wouldn't you think that after 70 years of being a Catholic, things would seem the same, ho-hum? Yet in the same Bible readings, year after year, I find some new insight.
Before this year, I never remembered hearing that the four candles of Advent, which represent the thousands of years the Jewish people waited for their redeemer, Jesus, had names. The first candle is called The Prophet's Candle and symbolizes hope. 'Prophet' refers to Isaiah who foresaw the coming of the Messiah.
The second week's candle is called The Bethlehem Candle, and symbolizes faith or preparation, as people prepare for the coming of Jesus, born in Bethlehem.
Today's candle is called The Shepherd's Candle, and symbolizes the JOY which the angels proclaimed when Jesus was born, first to the shepherds in the fields.
The fourth candle in the Advent wreath is called The Angel's candle and symbolizes "peace or the love for which Jesus came to earth" (from The Little Blue Book, Advent and Christmas Seasons, 2013-2014), p. 4.
What have I done this past week to prepare my heart to celebrate Jesus' birthday?: my usual visiting my sick people, finished shopping for gifts, had lunch with friends twice, visited a local historic home decorated for Christmas, wrapped all gifts, mailed half of those that need to be mailed, said extra prayers, helped a daughter decorate, watched several sappy & romantic Christmas movies on Hallmark TV, put up a few more decorations, and brought my 'extra' Advent book to Adoration Time on Wednesday. It is a wonderful book of daily meditations, "In Conversation with God: Daily Meditations Volume One: Advent and Christmastide" by Francis Fernandez, 1986.
Let's think about what we can do to prepare our hearts and homes for Christmas - next week!
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