Dec
11
The God of Reversals—Third Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)
Isaiah 35:1–6a, 10; James 5:7–10; Matthew 11:2–11
This third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin Introit for today's Mass from Philippians 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always." We rejoice because we anticipate the coming of our Savior. Advent is about anticipation. We are waiting for the coming of Jesus, not once but twice. First, we await His coming in human history, in the Incarnation. He who existed from the beginning with the Father as God became incarnate and became a human being, at a singular point of time in history.
Second, we await His final coming at the final judgment. For both of these events we rejoice. It’s typical to see these as two separate events.
This third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin Introit for today's Mass from Philippians 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always." We rejoice because we anticipate the coming of our Savior. Advent is about anticipation. We are waiting for the coming of Jesus, not once but twice. First, we await His coming in human history, in the Incarnation. He who existed from the beginning with the Father as God became incarnate and became a human being, at a singular point of time in history.
Second, we await His final coming at the final judgment. For both of these events we rejoice. It’s typical to see these as two separate events.
