3rd Sunday of Advent

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near." (Phil. 4: 4) This is the entrance antiphon for Mass on the Third Sunday of Advent which gives us the reference for the expression Gaudete Sunday, taken from the Latin word, second person plural imperative,  for "rejoice!" I like to think of joy as being the fulfillment of hope. Our hope is that not only we receive of the benefits of the Lord in this life but we will be with him forever in the next. We rejoice to see that the birthday of the Lord is near since the Incarnation was a new birth for humanity. In our baptism we were born into the relationship with God enjoyed by Christ as of right. As adopted children we anticipate a share in his inheritance. Throughout Advent we have been looking to prepare ourselves spiritually for the coming feast: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry 'Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and  if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with him." (Romans 8: 14-17) Advent then speaks not only to birth but also to suffering and death since we share in his Passion as well as his Nativity.