3rd Sunday of Advent, "Gaudete" Rejoice in the Eucharist!

 

“I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.”

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent. The Latin word Gaudete means Rejoice. And so, today, we lit, the rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath, which represents rejoicing. We rejoice, because Jesus came to us at Bethlehem, will come to us today in the Eucharist, and will come again in the future.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the rejoicing, we should have, as we prepare for Christmas. He states, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.” The prophet foretells a time, in which the Messiah would come, and bring glad tidings to the poor, heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to captives, and release prisoners. The Lord God will make justice and praise, spring up before all the nations.

And this longed for time of rejoicing arrived, when angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came into Mary’s womb, the new tabernacle, and a new age dawned, as the prophecy of Isaiah would soon be fulfilled.

The responsorial psalm, is Our Blessed Mother’s beautiful Magnificat. She rejoices knowing the time for the Messiah has come. The Savior of the world would soon be born. When Mary visited Her cousin Elizabeth, She said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; My spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Her words echo the prophet Isaiah, who said, “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God, is the joy of my soul.” Mary rejoiced in God, Her unborn Savior, who is the Emmanuel, God with us, within Her womb. The time had come in which hearts of fathers would turn toward their sons. The day of vindication had arrived. Jesus would soon give sight to the blind, and free prisoners, who were chained to their sins.

Our Lord’s life, death, and resurrection, would open the gates of heaven, to free all those from the days of old. All our ancestors would rejoice at the coming of the Messiah; from Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; kings like David and Solomon, and all who longed for redemption. They rejoiced as they entered the pearly gates of heaven, when Jesus brought them from the dungeon of death on Holy Saturday.

And Jews, who lived during the time of Jesus, thought the Messiah would set Israel free from the bondage of the Romans. But this is not why the Messiah came, rather He came that mankind may be reconciled with God. He came to establish peace on earth, not through conquering men, but through a change of heart, conversion, holiness, and justice.

Today, we rejoice at being set free, from the bondage of sin, especially through the sacraments of baptism and confession. When we go to confession, we rejoice in peace, mercy and freedom, as Jesus absolves us from our sins. And we rejoice, as He heals our broken hearts, wounded by sin, and He sets us free, from the bondage of sin.

Sunday evening at 7pm, there is a combined St. Paul and Holy Trinity penance service at Lyons. There will be 5 priests to hear Confession.

As Mary rejoiced when Her womb, became the first human tabernacle, when God, Her Savior, came to dwell among us, so, we rejoice, most especially in the Eucharist, as He comes to dwell within the tabernacle of our hearts, and the tabernacles, of every Catholic Church.

Today, we rejoice, our Savior, Emmanuel, God with us, comes at Mass, and into our hearts in Holy Communion! And He stays here in our tabernacle.

God is really, and truly with us, in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus. The Eucharist is God. And so, God is with us! Rejoice always! I say it again, rejoice, God is with us, in the Eucharist!

The same Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is in heaven, comes here, and now, to be with us, on the altar. We should therefore, humble our hearts, to receive Our Lord with great reverence and awe. If we could only see Jesus, in the Eucharist! It looks like bread, tastes like bread, but is no longer bread at all. It is totally and completely Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is with us! Do not the words of Isaiah echo in our hearts, when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion? “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.”

If we really and truly understood, the Eucharist, we would cry out with joy, and sing to the Lord with all our heart. “Rejoice--Our God is Here!” “Jesus Christ, our God, is truly here in the Eucharist!” We would plead with others: Come to the Holy sacrifice of the Mass! Come to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, worthily in Holy Communion! Come to adore Our Savior in the tabernacle, and adore Him in Eucharistic Adoration, He who heals broken hearts, brings peace, and unity to families, and to the world!

Someday, perhaps sooner than we think, Our Lord will come, and bring about justice, and peace to the nations, ending war, terrorism, division, murder, drugs, abortion and euthanasia. He will bring about a civilization of love, life, and peace. And our God will conquer, once and for all, the ancient serpent. As we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us rejoice, rejoice in the Lord always, for God is with us, in the Eucharist, and will come again, in all His glory!