Gaudete Sunday is tailor-made for busy families

Third Sunday of Advent: Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

I Rejoice heartily.
God is the joy of my soul.
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.
Rejoice always.

See a theme in the four quotes above? They are taken from the first and second readings and the responsorial psalm for the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, or “Rejoice” Sunday.

On the Advent wreath, this is the week of the pink (actually “rose”) candle. The candle of joy marks a Sunday of joy, and some priests will wear rose-colored vestments on this day. While the Advent purple reminds us that we are preparing and waiting for our Lord, the brighter, more joyful, rose reminds us that we can rejoice because he is indeed with us.

In the Gospel reading from John for this Sunday, St. John the Baptist reiterates this message to the priests and Levites who are bombarding him with questions about his identity. They want to know why he is going around baptizing people if he is not the Christ.

He responds: “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” Jesus, their Lord and Saviour, was already among them and they did not recognize him.

Do we recognize him? Do we know the cause of our joy? Are we rejoicing at all?

I think Gaudete Sunday is tailor-made for busy families. God knows when we need a break. Take this Sunday as time to breathe, and, of course, rejoice.

Last year, for the first time, our family participated in a family Advent supper. Several families came together at one home for a potluck. One mom had prepared a short reflection on Advent that was suitable for all ages, followed by a simple craft for the children and then everyone enjoyed the meal. Each family had brought a simple gift (generally from the dollar store) with each child’s name on it. After supper, St. Nicholas paid a visit and passed out gifts from his sack. St. Nicholas could also “collect” with his sack – food items for a local food bank or gifts for a family in need.

The family who initiated this gathering was trying to recreate a similar tradition that they had enjoyed on each Sunday of Advent with their large extended family, before they moved away from them. When the gathering was over, they said it was just as enjoyable as being with their relatives back home. It was a lot like being at a large family gathering, even though some of the guests were meeting for the first time.

The key was that Christ was recognizable. We recognized Christ in each other. We recognized him in the Advent reflection, in the friendly conversation, in the welcoming spirit of our hostess, the food lovingly prepared by many hands, the humorous portrayal of one of the kids as St. Nicholas, by the knowledge that we are all bound by our common faith, by the reason for our joy.

An evening of reflection for moms and dads is another great idea for a breather at this point in Advent. Last year I connected to Ann Voskamp’s Facebook feed and when I watched her video on joy  for the third Sunday of Advent I knew I had to share it, and not just on Facebook.

It was a last-minute idea, and literally just a few days before Christmas, but I put out a text to some busy moms and invited them over for an evening of a sampling of Christmas treats (everyone brought one thing), a viewing of Voskamp’s reflection, followed by a relaxed discussion on joy. I like to think those seven moms collected in my small, cozy living room were better able to share in the joy of Christmas because of taking that time to step back and think about the gift of the Christ-child, the source of joy.

Before you scoff and assume I must have been uber-organized with all baking done, presents wrapped, and every decoration just so, I actually did it because I wasn’t ready. I had a 14-week-old baby, was feeling my 40-something age, and was wondering how I was going to get everything done. But I felt a strong prompting of the Holy Spirit to help spread the message of joy and I think I was the one who needed to hear it most!

Ann Voskamp (bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts, mother, and Christian blogger at anvoskamp.com), is just one of many sources that could be used for an evening of reflection. Dynamiccatholic.com or Ascensionpresents.com both offer numerous short videos for Advent.

You could make it a couples evening with simple wine and cheese, take turns for moms or dads, or even do one for teens or younger kids. If you think you are too busy and couldn’t possibly organize something, that’s a sure sign that you should do it. Don’t over think it – sometimes less planning is better. Talk to the Holy Spirit about it; if he wants it to happen, he will help.

As Christians we have every reason to rejoice, but sometimes we need a little nudge to help us recognize the root of that joy. Don’t let joy pass your family by this week.

Lazzuri is a mother of six and writes from her home in Nova Scotia.