A 3rd Week of Advent Scoop

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(Credit: MPKPhoto/Getty Images)

Getting tired of waiting for Christmas Day? It’s ok. Jesus knew you would be. That’s why the Church makes the third week of Advent a special one! The Third Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice, you all” (seriously, that’s the direct translation) in Latin. So take heart and rejoice!

A Gospel to Rejoice About

“A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him” (John 1:6-7).

My first reaction was: “Wow, John the Baptist had a really special mission.” Then, I realized. That’s our mission too. You could insert your own name where John’s is (and maybe change the gender) and suddenly the Gospel is describing you.

The thing I think is so cool about reading Scripture is that it is the most true story you’ll ever read. Not only did it really happen, it can happen now in your life. We’re all called “to testify to the light;” we just have to accept that call. Then we too will be able to say that many came to believe through us.

So what do we do now?

Great question! First, we need to know how we individually can testify to the light. Then we’ve got to go do it! Whenever we don’t know how to live something out in our faith, we can pray. Maybe we need to pray more or pray differently, focusing more closely to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Or we need to honestly ask ourselves if we will accept whatever God tells us to do. Once we open ourselves to all possibilities, the Holy Spirit’s whispers might amplify. And sometimes, we’ll see the call to testify to God’s love in unexpected places. Ever had a sibling ask you to play with them at the most inconvenient time? But accepting their invitation when it’s hardest is probably the biggest testimony you can give to God.

Most importantly, this Gaudete Sunday reminds us of what we’re testifying too. We’re testifying to God’s love for every human being, to His gifts to us, to His mercy. As the title tells us, “Rejoice, you all!”

Christmas Spirit at Montrose

Montrose is certainly embracing the call to rejoice this week. We’re pretty enthusiastic for the third week of Advent. On a scale of 1 to 5 that measured enthusiasm for Advent, the largest percentage of respondents chose a 5, and the second largest chose a 4. Of the upcoming Christmas traditions, those who answered the survey are most excited for Secret Santa. And our favorite religious carol/pop Christmas pairing is…a tie between “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande/“Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey/“O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

Have a happy Rejoice week everyone!

Anna Sheehan

21asheehan@montroseschool.org