Revd Sara's Reflections - w/c 17th December - Advent 3

Revd Sara’s Reflection Advent 3

Thank you for all your messages and prayers as we celebrated Frank’s life on Thursday, it was a wonderful celebration of a long life well lived, with the support of his friends, Christ’s Church community and our family being his, the last of the France’s.. As I write today we celebrate my little brother’s birthday who would have been 54 today.. this was always our family launch into the Christmas season as my Dad’s birthday was the 20/12 ... we kept partying... We remember them both with smiles and deep love, again I am very grateful for the messages and prayers received today Thank you 

The Third Sunday of Advent is often referred to as Gaudete ("Rejoice") Sunday. The title comes from the beginning of the Latin introit for this Sunday, "Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete" ("Rejoice in the Lord; again I say, rejoice," Philippians 4:4, from the second reading for this Sunday).

With only one more Sunday before Christmas, the liturgy takes on a more eager and urgent sense of anticipation. The option of rose vestments and a rose candle for the third candle of the Advent wreath help heighten this emphasis. It is not surprising that the verbs "sing" and "rejoice" (synonyms for a musician) are heard over and over in the readings for this Sunday.

Right from the first reading, we hear this note of joy and eager hope from the prophet Zephaniah. Like his contemporary, Jeremiah, he had laboured to end pagan worship in Jerusalem. Here he offers a lyric vision of Israel's future: "Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!"

"People, Look East" is a wonderfully imaginative Advent carol with a text by Eleanor Farjeon, a devout English Catholic from the first half of the 20th century, best known for "Morning Has Broken". She mystically anticipates Christ's coming as "Love (the Guest, the Rose, the Bird, the Star, the Lord) is on the way." It is usually yoked to the ancient French carol "Besançon." It captures the same joyful hope of the readings for this Sunday.

This is at the heart of our joy and hope this Sunday -- that we might, through prayer, reflecting and worship, come to a deeper and more true understanding of and action toward the vision of the God's reign of peace, justice and mercy as proclaimed and lived by Jesus, present and still ahead of us.

love and prayers Revd Sara