Today is the third Sunday of Advent.
Our third candle in Advent is the rose, or pink, candle that represents joy. It’s not an accident that this week’s candle is aligned with the theme of our readings for this third Sunday of Advent.
Like the fourth Sunday of Lent we pause today to consider the joyful aspect of the season. In Lent we’re preparing to celebrate the resurrection of Christ at Easter. In Advent we’re rejoicing about the second coming of Christ, yet to come, and to recall the joy of God becoming one of us through the Incarnation.
What a strange, yet wonderful, thing it is that God stooped down to our level and became one of us, in all ways but sin, so that we might be saved. God’s love is truly amazing and worthy of rejoicing over.
The joy of this season, as we turn our attention toward Christmas liturgically in just a couple of days (on December 17th), really leads us to the reason for the season: God’s great love for His people. How are we to respond to such a gift?
I hope we respond by passing on that great love to others through small things and great ones. I don’t have a particular devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux but she was right about one thing, the little way. Doing small things with love. I see it in my own home as well as in others. Of course, I try to practice it myself as well.
In a world with so much dysfunction and disordered values loving one another, even in small things, can make all the difference. It is in fact a reason to be joyful.
I hope this week you’ll try to find the joy in the ordinary that reminds us of God’s love and will try to supply that joy to someone else, letting God work through you.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned it this Advent but one of my favorite Advent traditions these last few years has been listening to the Hark! podcast from America Media. Each Advent for four years running now they take a different Advent or Christmas hymn and look into the story behind it. I find it fascinating. If you haven’t listened to Hark! I highly recommend it. You can go to there website here: https://www.americamagazine.org/hark-podcast
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great, and joyful, week.
Peace, Bob
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