Advent is a season that is meant to shake us up. Not in a bad way, but to remind us of the wonderful truths about God, about ourselves, and about the meaning of life.  The 3^rd Sunday of Advent focuses on the importance of joy in our lives, the joy we experience when we not only understand, but also believe in the incredible love that God has for us.

As in any relationship, over time it’s easy to take the ones we love for granted, to forget how incredibly awesome that person is. It’s the same with our faith.  Overtime we get used to hearing that God loves us.  We get used to the rituals and traditions of our faith and we forget how amazing they truly are.  Think about it – God created us, created the world around us, and life is a gift, an incredible act of love between God and humanity. 

What we are preparing to celebrate in just fifteen short days is the reality that God loved us so much that God choose to become one of us to show us a better way, and to ultimately lead us to eternal life.   Our faith, all that we hold true and profess to believe are wonderful truths meant to lift us up and give us joy.

The third Sunday of Advent is also referred to as Gaudete Sunday.  "Gaudete" is a fancy Latin word that simply meaning "rejoice".  We light the pink candle on our wreath this weekend, the candle of joy, reminding us   to never lose hope in God, to never stop finding joy in God’s love for us.  Christ is our hope.  No matter where we find ourselves, God is with us, our Emmanuel offers us hope, peace, and joy.

May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Fr. Harry