Advent is a season that is meant to shake us up. Not in a bad way, but rather to shake us into awareness - to wake us up to the deep and wonderful truths about God, about ourselves, and about the meaning of life.   The 3^rd Sunday of Advent reminds us of the importance of joy in our lives, a joy that comes from the deep and faithful love God has for us.
 
Our scripture readings this weekend are a beautiful reminder of how much God loves us.  Our first reading from the Prophet Zephaniah describes God’s love for us, telling us that God doesn’t just love us, but rather God rejoices over us as one would rejoice at a festival.  What a wonderful image for us to ponder, God rejoicing over us, like a parent with a newborn child.  
 
St. Paul picked up on this theme in our second reading, encouraging us to let go of anxiety and trust in God’s love.  St. Paul understood the depth of God’s love and the power of conversion.  He had a past, but he embraced his future and let love lead him forward.  Like St. Paul we are not defined by our past, but rather God’s love frees us from past mistakes and encourages us to live up to our full potential, knowing we are loved.  
 
Unfortunately, as we know from human relationships, overtime, it’s easy to take those whom we love for granted.  It’s the same with our faith. At times, we become complacent in our relationship with God.  It is easy to get caught up in the world around us and to put our faith on the back burner.  Advent is a reminder for us to rejoice, to celebrate God’s love, and to keep our faith alive and active.  
 
Let us never forget that Jesus came into our world to shake things up, to teach us what is important in life.  In our gospel reading, we hear John the Baptist announcing the coming of Christ, encouraging us to prepare our hearts and minds to receive the good news.  The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. "Gaudete" is a fancy Latin word that simply means "rejoice".  Today is a day to remind us to never lose hope in God, to never stop finding joy in God’s love for us.  “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” 
 
May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever more.
 
Fr. Harry