Gaudete Sunday: Rejoicing While We Wait
3rd Sunday of Advent – Matthew 11:2–11
Theme: Patiently Awaiting the Coming of Christ
On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Church invites us to rejoice. Gaudete Sunday—from the Latin gaudere, meaning “to rejoice”—arrives like a gentle interruption in our waiting. In the midst of longing, anticipation, and unanswered questions, we are reminded that Christian joy is not postponed until everything is resolved. It is present even now, because the Lord is near.
In today’s Gospel, we meet John the Baptist at a moment of deep uncertainty. From prison, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus a question that feels painfully human: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3).
This is the same John who boldly prepared the way of the Lord, who called people to repentance, and who pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Yet here, in confinement and darkness, he waits—and he wonders.
Jesus does not respond with a theological explanation or a rebuke. Instead, He points to lived reality:
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
These are signs that God is at work—often quietly, steadily, and beyond our timelines.
Our pastor reminds us that patience is one of the virtues we speak about often, yet struggle to live daily. We want things done our way, and we want them done quickly. We want answers without waiting, solutions without discomfort, and results without delay. Yet it is in the ordinary moments of life that our true patience is revealed.
Think of the small frustrations we face each day: unexpected traffic when we are already running late, someone driving painfully slow on a single-lane road, or the brief pause of the car in front of us when the light turns green. How do we respond in those moments? Do we breathe, or do we react? These everyday situations gently expose how patient—or impatient—we truly are.
Scripture reminds us that waiting has always been part of God’s story. As early as 700 BC, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah. The people longed for that promise to be fulfilled, yet when fulfillment seemed delayed, many grew discouraged and weary. In the second reading, St. James speaks directly to this human struggle, urging us with simple yet powerful words: “Be patient, brothers and sisters.” He repeats this call to patience four times, emphasizing its importance.
St. James uses the image of a farmer who patiently waits for the precious fruit of the earth, trusting the process even when nothing seems visible on the surface. Beneath the soil, growth is happening—quietly, faithfully, in God’s time. Like that farmer, we are invited to trust that God is at work even when we cannot yet see the outcome.
This patience is not passive. Our pastor reminds us that we are also called to encourage and uplift those who may have drifted away from the Lord—perhaps because of fear, hurt, or the feeling of being judged. Advent invites us to walk gently with one another, to become instruments of Christ’s presence. Sometimes, that presence is expressed not through grand gestures but through small lights of kindness, mercy, and understanding that guide others back to Him.
Gaudete Sunday assures us that our waiting is not empty. The rose candle we light today is a sign of hope and joy breaking into our longing. We rejoice not because everything is perfect, but because God is near to our struggles, to our prayers, and to the deepest desires of our hearts.
As we move closer to Christmas, may the Lord grant us patient hearts, hopeful spirits, and eyes open enough to recognize His quiet work among us. May we learn to rejoice even as we wait, trusting that the One who has come, and who will come again, is already walking with us now.
Rejoice in the Lord always. The Lord is truly near.