Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)
December 11th, 2022

First Reading:  Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 
Psalm # 146 R: Lord, come and save us
Second Reading: James 5:7-10 
Gospel Acclamation Verse: The spirit of the Lord is upon me;
                He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. (Is 61:1)
Gospel: Matthew 11:2-111 
Theme: Gaudate (Rejoice) Sunday - Pink Candle - Jesus is the greatest gift

Commentary by Jane Prini

On this third Sunday of Advent, we light a pink candle as a symbol of our rejoicing that Jesus was born to save us, and we look with great expectation to his second coming in glory. Remember the purple candles lit the last two weeks symbolizes our repentance - a looking at ourselves, seeing where we have not loved, asking for forgiveness, and admitting that we need Jesus, our saviour to help us to love better. 

Another name for this Sunday, is Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday. We rejoice because we know that Jesus was born to bring us back into full relationship with God our creator. When we choose not to love the best we can, we turn away from God. God planned Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection so that we all can spend eternity with him, if we choose to. Jesus is the best gift from God the Father.

As Father Tony mentions in his commentary for today, we learn to love as Jesus loves by our relationships with your family and friends. In the story of “The Grinch That Stole Christmas”, do you remember how his heart grew three sizes when we realized Christmas was not about gifts, but about the love between family and friends? As people of faith in God, we can help each other look beneath the surface joy urged by holiday commercials and the expectations of gifs. We do this when we pay attention to those speaking to us, give generously to those in need around us, maybe help in a simple way, like carry something heavy for a classmate or neighbour. We are the real signs for those who walk in darkness looking for God. We learn that we are happiest when we are considerate and help those around us. In these small ways we become a part of the God’s plan, a beacon of light and joy, breaking into the darkness of our world. We become a true sign of Emmanuel, that is, God with us, for others. We accept the greatest gift from God the Father, and re-gift it to those around us. 

May this week of gaudete or rejoicing, give you peace as we get closer to celebrating the birth of Jesus and wait in great expectation for his second coming. 

A reminder: Come to Bethlehem has been postponed until January 8, 2023….Little Christmas.  Same place, same time. Holy Cross hall at 1:30pm. Hope you can join us. Be sure to register on the website for this free parish event. Maybe you can invite a friend to join you. 

Prayer for Families: Heavenly Father, we thank you for Jesus! We know that every good gift we
        receive comes from you and the greatest gift of all is eternal life, made possible by Jesus. In
        gratitude, we pray through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in 

        the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen

CLICK, READ MORE FOR FAMILY RESOURCES, Colouring Page, Cross Word Puzzle and Word Search
 

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