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Today, December 14, 2025, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent in Liturgical Year A. The name "Gaudete" comes from the Latin word for "rejoice," drawn from the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Indeed, the Lord is near" (Philippians 4:4-5). In the midst of Advent's penitential violet, we light the rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath and may don rose vestments—a joyful pause reminding us that Christmas draws near, and our Savior's coming brings unbreakable hope.
What is Advent?
We are now in the holy season of Advent where we prepare for Christ's coming at Christmas and the second coming at the end of time. It is a spiritual period to meditate on these two mysteries and prepare for them. We use the wreath and 4 candles to mark the 4 weeks before Christmas.
Three of the candles are purple and one is rose or pink. The purple symbolizes preparation through penance and prayer. Purple is also used during Lent. Another way to see it is purple is a physical sign of healing. When we get hurt, the injury becomes purple. During the time of healing, it remains purple until it clears up. Sin hurts us and we need time to heal from it by using the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, Prayer, Fasting, Indulgences, and genuine Spiritual life.
The rose/pink is for the third Sunday or Gaudete Sunday which means "Sunday of Joy." We are joyous because we are getting closer to Christ's birth. As each week goes on, we light the candle that corresponds to that week. We at Sacerdotus now offer masks and shirts with the Advent wreath. See the end of this post for the link.
Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, is a special day in the liturgical calendar that invites us to rejoice as we anticipate the coming of Christ. The word "Gaudete" is Latin for "rejoice," and this theme of joy permeates the readings and liturgy of the day. As we light the rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath, we are reminded of the joy that comes from knowing that the Lord is near. This reflection explores the readings for Gaudete Sunday and their significance for our spiritual journey.
The readings this year overflow with this theme of joyful expectation. In the First Reading from Isaiah 35:1-6a,10, the prophet paints a vivid picture of transformation: "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." The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap—these are signs of God's kingdom breaking in, ending sorrow and bringing everlasting joy.
The Gospel (Matthew 11:2-11) connects directly: John the Baptist, imprisoned and facing doubt, sends messengers to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come?" Jesus replies not with a simple yes, but by echoing Isaiah: "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them." These miracles confirm Jesus as the Messiah, fulfilling ancient promises and inviting us to recognize His presence even in our waiting.
James urges patience in the Second Reading (James 5:7-10): "Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord... Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand." Like a farmer awaiting the harvest, we wait with hope, not grumbling, but strengthening our hearts.
On this Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice not because the world is perfect—John's prison cell reminds us of suffering—but because the Lord is near, already at work healing and renewing. In our own deserts of doubt, busyness, or hardship this December, these readings call us to look for signs of God's action: acts of kindness, moments of grace, the quiet blooming of faith amid dryness.
As we light that rose candle, let us echo Paul's command: Rejoice always. The Savior comes—not as a distant hope, but as Emmanuel, God-with-us. May this joy sustain us through the final days of Advent and overflow into a Christmas filled with His light.
