Saturday, December 14, 2019

Rejoice! Hurry the Lord is Near!

Happy Gaudete Sunday, or as I like to call it, Happy Pink Vestment Sunday!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know its rose, not pink, but pink is much more fun.  When I first started in ministry, I was a young 22 year old kid so I often wore dress shirts and ties every day to work to seem older, more professional.  Thanks to this habit, I collected a lot of different collared shirts.  It got to the point I had enough purple shirts I could wear a different purple shirt each Sunday of Advent and, of course, I had to have a pink one for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  I had my own little Advent wreath of shirts in my closet.  I was always excited for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, not only because I could bring out my favorite pink shirt/tie combination but it meant Christmas is right around the corner.

During Advent, the priest wears purple and we decorate the Church in purple. We do this to symbolize the darkness we are living in.  Jesus isn't here yet, the light of the world is not with us yet.  But each week as we light a new candle on the advent wreath, the darkness lessens, a little more light can be seen as we await the Light of the World.  On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, we step out of that darkness, that purple, and celebrate the light.  The waiting is almost over.  We can see light at the end of the tunnel.  We can rejoice, the Lord is near.

It also serves as a reminder that Advent is almost over and the Lord is near...I know what you are thinking- Matt you literally just said that.  It's true I did, but how you read those statements can be very different. 

The first -  Advent is almost over!!!! The Lord is near!!!! Is an excited exclamation of someone who has truly lived Advent and has worked these last few weeks to prepare their hearts, minds and souls to receive the Lord and are anxiously awaiting His arrival.  The pink (rose) candle is a symbol of joy and excitement!

The second -  well it is more of an oh shoot, how is Advent almost over and Christmas is right around the corner?  This is a worried expression of someone who can't seem to figure out where December has gone.  How are we only 10 days from Christmas.  I have so much stuff still to do!  Gifts to buy, parties to go to, presents to wrap, etc, etc, etc.  That is an expression of someone who hasn't taken the time to truly experience and live Advent.  The pink candle is a giant warning sign of everything they haven't done yet..

If read the expression the first way, awesome!  I can't wait for you to receive the Lord in your heart on Christmas morning.

If you read the expression the second way, fear not, there is still hope! The Church gives us this reminder that the Lord is coming, so if we haven't taken the time to prepare for it yet, we still have a chance to.  I can't wait for you to receive the Lord in your hearts on Christmas morning too! 

Let's try to make our hearts as warm and welcoming of a resting place as we can for the Lord over these next 10 days. 

Reflection by: Matthew Bensman


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