Saturday, December 14, 2024 //
Happy Saturday, friend! We are so excited to share with you what's coming up this week as we all prepare our hearts by praying with readings for Sunday, the day of rest with our Lord.
Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days
Saturday, December 14 (today!) // Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Sunday, December 15 // Third Sunday of Advent
Letter from the Editor //
Dear Sister,
Tomorrow is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, when the priest will wear rose (pink!) vestments, a liturgical color of joy. We call it gaudete because the Entrance Antiphon begins with this Latin word for “rejoice,” and the Readings all reflect the anticipatory joy of Advent. Saint Paul tells us in the Second Reading, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) This is because “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5). He comes to free us from our anxiety and fear, to bring us peace. In the Gospel, we hear from Saint John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin who leapt for joy in his mother’s womb. His followers ask him what they are to do in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and Saint John directs them to acts of generosity and charity. He gives us reason to rejoice as he promises that Jesus will baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16), giving us the grace of redemption.
The joy of this Sunday is also the Lord’s own joy. The First Reading speaks of the Lord’s generosity in coming to us, forgiving our sins, and turning away the enemies of sin and temptation. When we run to His mercy, He will “rejoice over [us] with gladness” (Zephaniah 3:17). He rejoices with us in that we are living in the story of the Lord’s great love for us, love that came down to offer us an abundance of grace. The Responsorial Psalm invites us to prepare our hearts, so that we will “draw water at the fountain of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
Let’s drink of that water, dear sister.
In Christ’s Love,
Susanna
Read the Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent:
First Reading // Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Responsorial Psalm // Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
Second Reading // Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel // Luke 3:10-18
Prayer Practice // As you go through your Christmas preparations, make room in your heart for the joy that comes with waiting.
Susanna Spencer est titulaire d'une maîtrise en théologie de l'Université franciscaine de Steubenville et est l'éditrice théologique de Blessed is She. Elle vit avec son mari philosophe et ses quatre enfants à Saint Paul, Minnesota. Elle aime lire la théologie, assister à de belles liturgies, cuisiner de délicieux plats et suivre le baseball avec désinvolture. Elle était la narratrice de Maranatha, L'histoire de notre Sauveur et de notre livre pour enfants, Rise Up . En savoir plus sur elle ici .
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