Pastor’s Message

Dear Friends in St. Dominic,

The 3rd Sunday of Advent is always known as
Gaudete Sunday. This is a Sunday of Joy. We are
reminded that Christ brings the deepest joy. The word
“gaudete” is Latin for “rejoice,” and in the Latin version
of this Mass, it is the very first word. The liturgy for
every Mass begins with a short verse from the Bible,
called the “entrance antiphon.” That verse can also
be substituted by a hymn, but in the official liturgical
books, every Mass begins with an entrance antiphon.

The third Sunday of Advent has been “Gaudete
Sunday” ever since the time of Pope St Gregory
the Great, in the sixth century. It is the reason for
the rose-colored vestments and Advent candle.
Why is the Church inviting all believers to rejoice
at the midpoint of Advent? Because Christ’s coming
to earth, which Advent looks forward to, is the only
source of the true, lasting joy. Joy is the deep
satisfaction experienced whenever we come into
possession of something good.
But all the good things in this world, apart from God,
are temporary and fragile. Money, success, health,
even friendship and being in love – all these things are
limited. If circumstances change or enough time passes,
we either become tired of them, or they go away.
And so, the joy that comes from possessing them is
only a temporary joy. But our hearts are thirsty for a
joy that will never go away, because that is what we
were created for.

Our deepest desire is to be known and loved completely,
unconditionally and everlastingly, by another
person. Only God can fulfill that desire. But original sin
cut this world off from friendship with God, and so the
human heart was stranded. On Christmas Day, two
thousand years ago, God came to our rescue. And
now, because of Christ, the true, lasting joy that each
one of us desires more than
anything else, is possible.
That is why the Entrance
Antiphon does not just say,
“Rejoice.” It says, “Rejoice
in the Lord.”

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Roger Estorque

Third Sunday
of Advent
Rejoice always. Pray
without ceasing.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16