What is special about the Third Sunday of Advent called “Gaudete Sunday?” The word “Gaudete” is Latin for “Rejoice.” On Gaudete Sunday, the season of Advent shifts its focus. For the first two weeks of Advent, the focus can be summed up in the phrase, “The Lord is coming.”
But beginning with Gaudete Sunday, the focus shifts to, “The Lord is near.” This shift is marked by a lighter mood and a heightened sense of joyous anticipation. Liturgically, the colors lighten as well. The priest wears rose-colored vestments, a hue seen only on Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday. On this day, we light the third candle of the Advent wreath, which is also rose-colored.
This celebration is a reminder that we should await Christ’s coming not with fear, but with joy. Today’s Second Reading, from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, reflects this joy: “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.”
During Advent, we remember our reason to hope; we are assured in a most definitive way that God always keeps his promises; for on that first Christmas, He sent his only Son Jesus, the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation. If we allow the light of Christ to lead us through all of life’s dark moments, we find that we will always have reason to rejoice.