Responsorial Psalm
R. (6) Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Cry out with joy and gladness: for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Gospel
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.
Reflection
Today, as we light the pink candles on our wreaths and clergy don rose-colored vestments, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “rejoice,” and today’s readings repeatedly remind us to do just that.
Yes, Advent is a season of penitential preparation, but it is always joyful. In today’s Gospel, St. John the Baptist delivers advice to his listeners on how they can reform their ways. He tells how one “mightier than [he]” will gather His own to Himself and throw the others into an unquenchable fire. While those lines may sound ominous, the Gospel concludes: “Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.” Thus, the Scripture today invites us to remember that repentance, transformation, and the triumphal judgement of Christ are good news that we should receive with joy. So, Gaudete Sunday is not just a day where we joyfully wait for Christmas; it is also a reminder that this season of sacrifice and purification is good and should itself be joyful.
That said, the joy of Advent comes from more than recognizing the goodness of repentance and the impending arrival of Christ the Judge. Our Responsorial Psalm invites us to rejoice because the “Holy One of Israel” is among us now. We acclaim His glorious deeds and wonder at His power and generosity. The second reading from Philippians says to rejoice always, that “The Lord is near,” and we have no need to fear for we can place our trust in God.
We Catholic Christians have countless reasons to rejoice. This Gaudete Sunday is a dedicated day for us to renew our prayers of thanksgiving and joy. I invite you to join me in rejoicing at the presence of Christ as we encounter Him in the Sacraments, our neighbors, and Sacred Scripture. For the remainder of Advent, let us ponder in our hearts the joyfulness of repentance and God’s perfect judgement as we await Christmas--and the day Jesus will come again in glory.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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