Summary
We have many reasons to rejoice because of the many things God has done for us and continues to do for us. To rejoice means to give voice to joy. We can rejoice even when we don’t feel joyful.
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Reflective Study Guide Questions
“Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 12:6)
You can find the readings for the third Sunday of Advent here at usccb.org.
Reflective Questions
- The third Sunday is “Gaudete” Sunday, which means “Rejoice!” — the theme of all the readings. What did Sarah say is our reason to rejoice, according to the liturgy? Does that resonate with you? Why or whynot?
- In the Gospel reading (Lk 3:10–18), the people ask John the Baptist: What shall we do (now that we’ve been baptized for repentance)? Review the practical advice he gives to the various people who ask. If you were to ask the same question of John today, as you prepare for Jesus’s coming: what do you think he would tell you?
- What image comes to mind when you hear “God is with you” or “Jesus is coming”? In the first reading (Zeph 3:14–18a), the prophet says that God rejoices over his people, “as one sings at festivals.” Imagine that! If you imagine a stern or unhappy or disapproving father, spend some time in this reading and soak up God’s love for you.
- In the second reading (Phil 4:4–7), St. Paul says to rejoice in every circumstance, no matter what. Following his advice, Sarah explained that if we rejoice in the Lord and because he is near and loves us, and if we lift our troubles to him in thanksgiving, with faith and trust in his love, he will give us his peace. Have you experienced that before? How? And if not, if this gives you trouble – spend some time in prayer with the Responsorial Psalm or the 2nd reading. What do you hear?
Lectio Divina: Philippians 4:4–7
Continue praying with the 2nd reading, with which Sarah closed her talk (or choose another 3rd Sunday reading, found here), using this guide:
- PRAY
+ Come Holy Spirit, speak to me as I read your Word.
- READ (reading—lectio)
Read the passage several times. What does it say? What word or words stand out to you? Write them here and pause a moment with them. Receive them in your heart, listening closely for the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
- REFLECT (meditation—meditatio)
What does the passage mean? What do you hear the Lord saying to you?
- RESPOND (prayer—oratio)
What is the Lord asking of you? Talk to the Lord about what you hear.
- REST (contemplation: contemplatio)
Remain quiet for a moment in his loving embrace.
- PRAY (The Prayer of Mary, Lk 1:46–55)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his humble servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed, the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen, Alleluia.
For a way to more deeply meditate on the readings throughout the week either leading up to or following Sunday, download Receive the Word! A Bible Reading Plan for Advent – Year C.
Text: The Lord is Near, Rejoice Praying with Scripture, part 3
Hi, I am Sarah Christmyer and happy Gaudete Sunday. This is the Sunday when we cast off our penitential purple and put on rose, light the rose candle on the wreath And rejoice, rejoice because the Lord is near. So let’s get started with the prayer. And this is the collect that we will hear on the third Sunday of Advent.
Opening Prayer
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Oh God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s nativity. Enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, Amen. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Be Good to Others
All right, let’s jump right in with the gospel reading today. It picks up where we left off last week with John the Baptist in the desert, calling the people to repentance. So he’s been doing this for a while and crowds and crowds of people are coming around him. And now in today’s reading, they ask him, what shall we do? You know, we’ve repented of our sins, we’ve been baptized, you know, for forgiveness of sins. Now what, what comes next? And we might ask the same thing. If we have gone to confession and have gotten our hearts cleared out, what do we do next?
Well, John the Baptist has a very simple answer. Basically it’s, you know, be good to others. Don’t be selfish, bear fruit that befits repentance, he says in Matthew’s gospel. And he speaks not only to the people who gather around him, you know, the Jews who are excited for their savior to come, but he’s speaking to their oppressors also, to tax collectors. He has a special word for them, to the soldiers, people who want to make their life miserable or who at least do make their lives miserable. But all of them are there. They’re wanting to prepare the way for this coming Messiah.
And even though John the Baptist calls them out in some ways for the ways that they’ve been acting, you know, all of this is called good news. Why, because God is coming, the Lord is coming and he’s coming to judge. And John the Baptist speaks, it’s kind of scary a little bit. He’s coming, you know, with his winnowing fork and to burn things with fire. But basically everything that’s worthless and evil and harmful and fruitless is going to be burned up. And only what is good will remain, but the good will remain. And so this is very, very good news.
The Prophet Zephaniah
Well, if you ever maybe doubt God’s motives and you wonder, well, if he comes to judge, I’m not quite sure I’m going to make it. Can we trust him? You know, I think it’s helpful to then go back and take a look at the first reading. This comes from the prophet Zephaniah. And Zephaniah is talking to a bunch of people who have rejected God and they’ve really paid for it quite dearly. They’ve had a painful exile, but they’re sorry. And Zephaniah, Zephaniah, sorry about that. Zephaniah says to them, shout for joy. Sing, be glad, exalt with all your heart, all and not internal things you do with your mind, but things that you shout out with your voice and let everybody be aware of. And he calls them collectively daughter, daughter. It’s a very personal and tender way of speaking to them. And there are big reasons for the joy.
You know, he starts out with saying that God, their king, who they haven’t seen in years, they haven’t seen their king, but he says God is their king, and God is among them. He has canceled their debt, okay? That’s what happens when you go to confession, canceled their debt. He’s turned away their enemies. It is a new day, good reasons for joy. Here’s how he ends. He says, “the Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love. He will sing joyfully because of you as one sings at festivals.”
I love that, I mean, who would ever have thought that God would be rejoicing over us? But he loves us. And when we return to him and are back in his embrace, he’s excited and it’s like a big celebration at a festival. And he rejoices over us. So we have God rejoicing and we rejoice. Very, very, a lot of joy that these readings are calling us to today.
Just a little side note here at the Annunciation, when Gabriel speaks to Mary, some of what he says kind of calls this passage from Zephaniah to mind, his word hail, when he says Hail full of grace, that can also be translated rejoice. So in a way, it’s a similar thing. And like Zephaniah, Gabriel tells her not to be afraid. Why, because the Lord is with you, right? When Gabriel says the Lord is with you, it just brings to mind what Zephaniah said, that the king of Israel, the Lord your God is in your midst. And who does Gabriel say is going to be in her womb, the king of Israel. You know the Lord your God, the promised Messiah. So a lot of reflections of prophecies which are all fulfilled in Jesus.
A Reading From St Paul
Today, you and I can hear this reading and know for sure that we are not alone. God is with us, Emmanuel, Emmanuel, God, with us. Not just in the manger, you know, in our souls in the Eucharist, when we partake of that and he is coming again to make all things new, to renew us in His love, as he says through Zephaniah.
You know, I think it’s helpful to remember just like some of these other weeks, you know, when Zephaniah tells Israel to jump and leap and shout for joy, there’s still an exile, okay? They’re not doing it in response to something that God has already done. He’s telling them to do it because of the certainty of the promise. So they’re in exile. The temple’s gone, their land is gone, you know, everything’s destroyed. And yet in the midst of that, he says, be glad. Don’t be discouraged, sing for joy.
Well, is that reasonable to ask do you think? You know, it kind of like sounds like a good theology lesson. You know, sing for joy. You can rejoice because even if your life is miserable, someday, it’ll be better. I don’t know, doesn’t work very well for me. Well, St. Paul comes to our rescue in the second reading and he says kind of the same thing, he says to rejoice, but he gives us really practical advice on how to do it.
In his day, you know, the Christians, they’re new Christians, but they think Jesus is coming any day now. And they’re asking him, what are we supposed to do? And in the meantime, life is tough. You know, Christians are being persecuted and so on. And so Paul says like, Zephaniah, rejoice why the Lord is near, okay, first of all, let’s look at that word, rejoice. He doesn’t say be happy, make sure that your emotions are happy. Rejoicing is something that we can do, that we can verbalize in response to some eternal truths. Things that we know are true. Like the fact that the Lord is near, like the fact that you know that God is in control, that he has a plan, that everything he has in his hands and he’s working things out for our good. You know, that enables us to rejoice, to give voice to joy in spite of what is going on in our lives. Which is really a remarkable witness.
But he goes on, he says, “be anxious for nothing,” because he knows they’re anxious. So he is like, “be anxious for nothing. But in everything, every little situation that you’re going through, no matter what it is, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” So he wants you to pray. You know, supplication, ask your requests, make the things, these needs that you have, the troubles that you are in, let them be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. That word keep is like guard, okay? We lift it all up, turn it over to him with thanksgiving and he will guard our hearts, guard our hearts from that anxiety that threatens to rush in and upend everything. Beautiful, beautiful.
I said it with a little bit different words than we’ll hear at mass because many years ago I memorized this because it has just been a mainstay for me in maintaining peace throughout all kinds of difficult situations. St. Paul gives us the recipe for how to do that. And what I have found is that when things are rough, if I can accept them coming from his hand, turn them over to him. If I can rejoice in his presence in who he is and what he has done, and give him thanks along with raising my request to him, he pours in peace that makes no sense at all. I don’t understand it. People wonder how I have it. I wonder how I have it, except that I know God gives us his peace.
A Call Out For Joy
Well, that call to physically rejoice is repeated in the responsorial psalm, which is our response to the readings that the church gives us. And this can be our prayer, you know, cry out with joy and gladness. It has a say, for among you is the great and holy one of Israel. And the Psalm is filled with lots of reasons for joy. If you read it, you’ll see how God gives us confidence. He gives us courage, he gives us strength based on his own strength and his own might and so on, and his presence with us. And of course, as Paul says, he gives us his peace so we can call upon him, cry out with joy and gladness.
So the third week of advent, everything we hear at mass is going to call out to us to rejoice. So let’s pray today with that reading from St. Paul. It’s from Philippians chapter four. And while we do it, let’s ask for the grace to put it into practice in our lives so that that peace. You know, Jesus comes to bring peace, peace on earth, goodwill to men, right? Ask him to bring that peace to our hearts this Christmas, okay?
Philippians 4:4-7
As I’ve done before, I’m going to read it three times. The first time, I will just read whole passage through while you listen with your heart prayerfully for what the Lord might be saying to you. The second time, I’ll read it more slowly so you can reflect on what you hear, ponder it, hear it. You know, where does it touch your life? Listen for that and respond to God. And then the third time, we simply listen and rest in his love. Okay, put yourself in the Lord’s presence and we start in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, come Holy Spirit, speak to us as we hear your word.
And this is Philippians chapter four, verses four to seven. “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 request known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
What word or phrase particularly stood out to you? What did you hear? You might want to write it down, if that’ll help you remember it. Thank you Lord for this word to us. I am going to read it again so we can reflect on it. Listen again for what the Lord wants to say to your life. And begin to respond to him with the thoughts that rise up in your heart. And Lord, I pray that you’ll help each one of us to receive what you have for us today.
“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.” Maybe you don’t feel like rejoicing, but here’s a good reason, you’re not alone. Even if you can’t feel his presence, know He is with you and rejoice in that. Rejoice in the Lord always, I shall say it again. Rejoice, the Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all. What’s worrying you today? You know something with your children, your spouse. Money issues, your job, are you sick, tired? What is it? Have no anxiety at all but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Sometimes Thanksgiving is a sacrifice that we offer to God. In everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. What are your requests? Make them known. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your request known to God. Then the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It’s interesting, Paul goes on to say in the next verse, what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. So I wonder, what did you hear or learn and receive just now? Practice these things you know, what’s it going to take to do them? To put the word into practice so the God of peace will be with you. Take a minute and respond to what you have heard. The Lord is with you.
Now I’ll read one last time. “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 request known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Stay a minute with the Lord and feel his presence with you. Let His peace fill your heart. Today is a day of joy. I hope that you’ll spend some time with these readings. You know, I really encourage you to memorize that passage in Philippians. That way the Holy Spirit can bring it to your heart when you really need it, bring it to your mind so that you can recite it and walk yourself through those steps of rejoicing, of letting go of anxiety, of praying with petition and thanksgiving, letting your request be made known to God and allowing his peace to fill your heart. Make that your prayer this week, and I pray that God will be with you.
Closing Prayer
Let’s close in prayer. Let’s use the words that Mary used to rejoice when she became aware that the Lord was near. It’s her magnifico. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God, my savior, for he has looked with favor on his humble servant. From this day, all generations will call me blessed. The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation, he has shown the strength of his arm. He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he has remembered his promise of mercy. The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen, hallelujah.
Thank you for coming into the Word with me today. And may God fill you with joy as you continue to make your retreat. God bless you.
About Sarah Christmyer
Sarah Christmyer is a Catholic author, Bible teacher, and speaker with a special love for lectio divina and journaling as ways to draw close to Christ in Scripture. She is general editor of the Living the Word Catholic Women’s Bible from Ave Maria Press, as well as the co-developer and founding editor of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study program and author or co-author of more than a dozen books and Bible studies. Her book Becoming Women of the Word pairs lessons from women of the Old Testament with women she has known to explore “How to Answer God’s Call with Purpose and Joy.” Sarah serves as an adjunct faculty member at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. She blogs at ComeIntoTheWord.com.