December 12
Third Sunday in Advent
Joy to the world!
The Lord has come
Let Earth receive her King!
Joy is often a word that is used interchangeably with happiness, but they are very different.
Happiness occurs on a surface level. To experience happiness, a person must have an instance where their desires are met in the situation that they are in. It is based on the subjectivity of what we want from life, not on what God wants for us. The feeling of happiness can grow or dissipate very quickly.
Joy is the abundant reassurance that all is well and will continue to be well. The source of all joy is proclaimed in the second line of that wonderful Christmas hymn quoted above. "The Lord has come."
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16
Think of the people in your life who you would describe as "joyful." They have a spark of hope even in the darkest times. This hope stems from their confidence that God is a loving father, and he will not abandon us. Yes, bad things happen, and people use their free will to make poor choices. However, during instances where we are affected negatively by circumstances or by the decisions of others, we should try our best to have hope - to be joyful.
- Shared by Admissions Director Anastasia Bennett
Did You Know?
The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent. The candle for the third Sunday is called the “Shepard's Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical color for joy.