The eyes of many members of Sunday communities open a little wider on the Third Sunday of Advent as they see the celebrant of the assembly arrive in rose-colored vestments.  Some might think of an early Christmas present! This is Gaudete Sunday, a title that summons the community to rejoice and be filled with hope.  The hue invites a thoughtful attitude in us as we light the rose-colored candle of our wreath and change the vesture that garbs the altar.  The serious character of the season that purple highlights with an attitude of repentance and need for renewal merges with this celebration of promise and wonder.

JM Barrie’s line comes to mind when I think of Gaudete Sunday and its coloring: “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”  Barrie, of course, is speaking of the power and gift of memory which can bring important objects and values to mind in the midst of different—even difficult—circumstances.  Through the snow and cold of the winter months, one can still remember the vividness and warmth of a different time and clime.  In the midst of suffering and want, one can recall the presence of the one who brings salvation to all through compassion and abundant life.  We treasure these recollections and our hearts fill with anticipation and gratitude.

Yes, Advent reminds us of our need to celebrate gladly the coming of the Lord.  We reflect upon how a Hebrew people awaited the Messiah, and their need to prepare themselves for his arrival.  We join our experience to theirs as we acknowledge our own need to prepare to welcome the Lord into our world and into our lives in the Christmas event.

Amidst the seriousness of our Advent preparation, the rose color offers the promise of a new day when Christ will come among us with the words and actions that change lives and offer a different future.  Hope characterizes this portion of the Advent Season in a particular way.  As we look to the Jubilee Year of 2025, we recall its theme of “Pilgrims of Hope.”  We anticipate its beginning with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on December 24, 2024.  A commitment to hope stands out clearly as an attitude that needs to characterize our world.

This would also be true of our Vincentian mission.  As we encounter those with modest means and limited opportunities, hope can seem quite foreign in their eyes.  Our offer of ordinary kindness and simple encouragement affirms the value of these marginalized brothers and sisters.  We discover the hope within ourselves, and we find ways to share it whenever we can through words, actions, and resources.  This season of Advent with its joyful and colorful reminder on Gaudete Sunday invites us to find the roses in our faith.