Fr. Patrick Fornah sx
Mathew 11:2-11 THE JOY OF GUDETE SUNDAY: beyond our expectations and in Mission
Today is Gaudete Sunday! As we light the rose-colored candle at the Advent wreath, we anticipate with great joy the Lord's coming "for he is near" (Phil 4:5). The theme of joy pervades today's liturgy as we faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity. Gaudete Sunday also prepares us for the Lord's coming which brings about fullness of joy. This third Sunday is different from the first, where we were invited to watch and stay awake; and from the second, where we were invited to prepare and return to God.
You will notice from the color of the third candle, the vestments of the priests, and the liturgical color used today—that this Sunday is unique and special. The color is rose, or pink. Pink is a symbol of joy, of rejoicing, of celebration. That is why this Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means Rejoice, celebrate. Rejoice in every moment; rejoice in all circumstances. This rejoicing is not only when everything is fine, when everything is okay, or when you have many gifts and Christmas decorations—no! We are called to rejoice in every and all situations.
Why are we called to rejoice or fill our hearts with joy? Why does our liturgy invite us to be joyful? First, because the coming of our Lord is near. The birth of Christ is close at hand. And so, from this Sunday until the following days, as we await the Lord’s coming, it is not just a matter of waiting or preparing ourselves. At this very point, we are invited to already begin experiencing the joy of the Messiah whom we await. Second, we are to rejoice or celebrate because (if you notice) —this is the time of year when many people easily lose their patience. They get irritable because of traffic, the crowds, the rush. People get angry and overwhelmed because of their financial constraints. The invitation of the Church today is to fill our hearts with joy, rejoice!
This Sunday serves as a pause, a break from penance, sacrifice, and the serious character of Advent, to remind us of joy. This Sunday also invites us to ask ourselves some important questions: At this point in my life, what am I truly experiencing more—happiness or joy? Am I joyful—or am I merely happy because of Christmas parties, gifts, or Christmas bonuses? Take note: we do not call this “Happy Sunday”; we call it Gaudete Sunday—the Sunday of rejoicing. Because we know that joy is different from mere happiness. Happiness and joy are not the same. Happiness is often shallow, while joy is deep. Happiness is often based on what happens around us—the laughter, the food, the drinking, the material or worldly things that eventually end. But joy springs from within, from the heart. Joy depends on who dwells within us—Christ. Happiness fades, but joy, however, endures. To be happy is a choice. But joy is not a mere choice—it is a gift from God. It is given, and it remains. Joy, in the deepest sense, is steady, unshaken, and unchanging—even when things around us change. If joy fills your heart, then even if your surroundings are difficult or unpleasant, you remain at peace, you remain joyful.
Thus, the second question is: Where should our joy come from, especially as we celebrate Christmas? Our joy this Christmas must come from Jesus Christ Himself. He is the One we await, the One we prepare for. If our joy comes only from the celebration, the food, the gifts, and the things we receive, then that is not the joy that Christ brings. But if, despite trials and difficulties, we still find joy because the Lord is with us, then that is the true meaning of the joy of Christmas. Even if you lack material things, even if life is hard, but you know that Jesus is with you, then that gives you real joy. Even amid pain and struggle, if you remain steadfast in faith because you trust that the Lord is near, that is the joy that endures.
The Gospel today presents John in prison. His audacity to condemn the illicit union of Herod Antipas and Herodias landed John the Baptist in chains. While incarcerated, John has some questions about Jesus. If Jesus is the Messiah indeed, where are the signs of the righteous anger toward the impious? Where is the ax of the Messiah that cuts the roots of evil men? Where is his fire that burns people who are like useless chaff? Maybe John is waiting for the Messiah to free him out of Herod's prison. Can Jesus indeed be the Messiah?
Jesus does not respond with a kind of self-presentation as the Messiah. He does not say, "Yes, I am the one who is to come; you should not look for another." Jesus prefers to speak indirectly of what is happening before the eyes of all: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the happen good news proclaimed to them. What happens is thoroughly "messianic," and for those who understand, Jesus indeed is the Messiah.
John's doubt in no way diminishes his glory and joy – Jesus himself pays John the Baptist highest honor: "Among those born of a women there has been none greater than John the Baptist." John is the last of the prophets, bridging the time of promise and the time of fulfillment. The disciples, then, are "greater" than he because they are witnesses of Jesus, in whom the kairos or the "acceptable time" of the Lord has come.
Truly, our joy comes from our Lord Jesus. I remember one day, in the Philippines, I was invited to celebrate a funeral Mass. Naturally, in a funeral we expect sadness and grief, because people are grieving the loss of a loved one. But during that Mass, I noticed something remarkable—the family had a glow, a different aura on their faces, a certain peace. After Mass I asked them, “Even though you are grieving, I can see Gaudete Sunday in you. You seem joyful.” They replied, “Yes, father, we are sad because our youngest sister, who was only 25 and had been living in Kuwait, passed away. But we are also joyful – because she is now free of pain. She suffered greatly from leukemia. We prayed so much for her, and God answered our prayer. She is gone from our eyes, but now she is with God.”
This is part of the meaning of Gaudete Sunday—allowing God to reveal Himself, and finding joy in His presence, beyond our expectations. True joy comes when we let God be God, sovereign and free, not confined to what we want Him to be. The prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful vision: God will come to His people, bringing healing, salvation, vindication, and restoration. Mourning and pain will vanish; only rejoicing will remain. This is the God who saves, who heals, who restores His people.
Finally, part of the joy of this Sunday is our mission to the poor. In the Gospel, Jesus tells John’s disciples: “Go and tell John: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor.” “Tell John,” Jesus says, that he may rejoice in his prison, because the Good News is being preached to the poor. This is the mission of Jesus, and this is where the true joy of Christmas comes from. when our celebration involves compassion for the poor.
Our Christmas will be truly joyful when we reach out to the poor. Instead of filling our homes with food and decorations alone, we must also extend ourselves to those who have nothing this Christmas. Many of our brothers and sisters cannot celebrate because they live in hardship. But when we bring them joy, that is when the Gospel becomes alive, and that is when Christmas finds its true meaning. The joy that comes from mission does not fade quickly. It remains in our hearts, bringing us inner peace and true joy. That is the essence of Gaudete Sunday. And so, this Christmas, let us not focus only on food, parties, or decorations. Let us be inspired to live the mission of reaching out to the poor, because there lies the real meaning of Christmas—and there, too, we will find lasting joy.
Mathew 11:2-11 THE JOY OF GUDETE SUNDAY: beyond our expectations and in Mission
Today is Gaudete Sunday! As we light the rose-colored candle at the Advent wreath, we anticipate with great joy the Lord's coming "for he is near" (Phil 4:5). The theme of joy pervades today's liturgy as we faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity. Gaudete Sunday also prepares us for the Lord's coming which brings about fullness of joy. This third Sunday is different from the first, where we were invited to watch and stay awake; and from the second, where we were invited to prepare and return to God.
You will notice from the color of the third candle, the vestments of the priests, and the liturgical color used today—that this Sunday is unique and special. The color is rose, or pink. Pink is a symbol of joy, of rejoicing, of celebration. That is why this Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word that means Rejoice, celebrate. Rejoice in every moment; rejoice in all circumstances. This rejoicing is not only when everything is fine, when everything is okay, or when you have many gifts and Christmas decorations—no! We are called to rejoice in every and all situations.
Why are we called to rejoice or fill our hearts with joy? Why does our liturgy invite us to be joyful? First, because the coming of our Lord is near. The birth of Christ is close at hand. And so, from this Sunday until the following days, as we await the Lord’s coming, it is not just a matter of waiting or preparing ourselves. At this very point, we are invited to already begin experiencing the joy of the Messiah whom we await. Second, we are to rejoice or celebrate because (if you notice) —this is the time of year when many people easily lose their patience. They get irritable because of traffic, the crowds, the rush. People get angry and overwhelmed because of their financial constraints. The invitation of the Church today is to fill our hearts with joy, rejoice!
This Sunday serves as a pause, a break from penance, sacrifice, and the serious character of Advent, to remind us of joy. This Sunday also invites us to ask ourselves some important questions: At this point in my life, what am I truly experiencing more—happiness or joy? Am I joyful—or am I merely happy because of Christmas parties, gifts, or Christmas bonuses? Take note: we do not call this “Happy Sunday”; we call it Gaudete Sunday—the Sunday of rejoicing. Because we know that joy is different from mere happiness. Happiness and joy are not the same. Happiness is often shallow, while joy is deep. Happiness is often based on what happens around us—the laughter, the food, the drinking, the material or worldly things that eventually end. But joy springs from within, from the heart. Joy depends on who dwells within us—Christ. Happiness fades, but joy, however, endures. To be happy is a choice. But joy is not a mere choice—it is a gift from God. It is given, and it remains. Joy, in the deepest sense, is steady, unshaken, and unchanging—even when things around us change. If joy fills your heart, then even if your surroundings are difficult or unpleasant, you remain at peace, you remain joyful.
Thus, the second question is: Where should our joy come from, especially as we celebrate Christmas? Our joy this Christmas must come from Jesus Christ Himself. He is the One we await, the One we prepare for. If our joy comes only from the celebration, the food, the gifts, and the things we receive, then that is not the joy that Christ brings. But if, despite trials and difficulties, we still find joy because the Lord is with us, then that is the true meaning of the joy of Christmas. Even if you lack material things, even if life is hard, but you know that Jesus is with you, then that gives you real joy. Even amid pain and struggle, if you remain steadfast in faith because you trust that the Lord is near, that is the joy that endures.
The Gospel today presents John in prison. His audacity to condemn the illicit union of Herod Antipas and Herodias landed John the Baptist in chains. While incarcerated, John has some questions about Jesus. If Jesus is the Messiah indeed, where are the signs of the righteous anger toward the impious? Where is the ax of the Messiah that cuts the roots of evil men? Where is his fire that burns people who are like useless chaff? Maybe John is waiting for the Messiah to free him out of Herod's prison. Can Jesus indeed be the Messiah?
Jesus does not respond with a kind of self-presentation as the Messiah. He does not say, "Yes, I am the one who is to come; you should not look for another." Jesus prefers to speak indirectly of what is happening before the eyes of all: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the happen good news proclaimed to them. What happens is thoroughly "messianic," and for those who understand, Jesus indeed is the Messiah.
John's doubt in no way diminishes his glory and joy – Jesus himself pays John the Baptist highest honor: "Among those born of a women there has been none greater than John the Baptist." John is the last of the prophets, bridging the time of promise and the time of fulfillment. The disciples, then, are "greater" than he because they are witnesses of Jesus, in whom the kairos or the "acceptable time" of the Lord has come.
Truly, our joy comes from our Lord Jesus. I remember one day, in the Philippines, I was invited to celebrate a funeral Mass. Naturally, in a funeral we expect sadness and grief, because people are grieving the loss of a loved one. But during that Mass, I noticed something remarkable—the family had a glow, a different aura on their faces, a certain peace. After Mass I asked them, “Even though you are grieving, I can see Gaudete Sunday in you. You seem joyful.” They replied, “Yes, father, we are sad because our youngest sister, who was only 25 and had been living in Kuwait, passed away. But we are also joyful – because she is now free of pain. She suffered greatly from leukemia. We prayed so much for her, and God answered our prayer. She is gone from our eyes, but now she is with God.”
This is part of the meaning of Gaudete Sunday—allowing God to reveal Himself, and finding joy in His presence, beyond our expectations. True joy comes when we let God be God, sovereign and free, not confined to what we want Him to be. The prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful vision: God will come to His people, bringing healing, salvation, vindication, and restoration. Mourning and pain will vanish; only rejoicing will remain. This is the God who saves, who heals, who restores His people.
Finally, part of the joy of this Sunday is our mission to the poor. In the Gospel, Jesus tells John’s disciples: “Go and tell John: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor.” “Tell John,” Jesus says, that he may rejoice in his prison, because the Good News is being preached to the poor. This is the mission of Jesus, and this is where the true joy of Christmas comes from. when our celebration involves compassion for the poor.
Our Christmas will be truly joyful when we reach out to the poor. Instead of filling our homes with food and decorations alone, we must also extend ourselves to those who have nothing this Christmas. Many of our brothers and sisters cannot celebrate because they live in hardship. But when we bring them joy, that is when the Gospel becomes alive, and that is when Christmas finds its true meaning. The joy that comes from mission does not fade quickly. It remains in our hearts, bringing us inner peace and true joy. That is the essence of Gaudete Sunday. And so, this Christmas, let us not focus only on food, parties, or decorations. Let us be inspired to live the mission of reaching out to the poor, because there lies the real meaning of Christmas—and there, too, we will find lasting joy.