The third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete Sunday.”
In the readings, we hear about miracles associated with the Messianic age, its coming, and what we need to do to prepare.
We also learn about the doubts of John the Baptist, how he dealt with them, and the blessing that makes us even more fortunate than John was.
Here are 11 things to know and share . . .
1) Why is the third Sunday of Lent known as Gaudete Sunday?
Its name is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.
Indeed, the Lord is near.
This is a quotation from Philippians 4:4-5, and in Latin, the first word of the antiphon is gaudete (Latin, “rejoice”)
2) What significance does this have?
Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming), and by the third Sunday of Advent, we are most of the way through the season.
Thus it is appropriate to rejoice as we see the goal of the season approaching: “The Lord is near.”
3) What is the appropriate liturgical color for this day?
According to the rubrics:
In this mass the color violet or rose is used.
It can thus be either one. It doesn’t have to be rose; it can also be violet.
4) What does the first reading say?
