Today was a full day on the Catholic liturgical calendar as we had much about which to rejoice.
Before we heard the Lukan introduction to John the Baptist, we heard these edifying words from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians:
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
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To celebrate this Gaudete Sunday, many churches change all of their liturgical vestments from the Advent purple (or blue) to the color rose. My parish kept it simple (and frugal) with just the third advent candle in rose:
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Here’s my reflection on last year’s Gaudete Sunday
Roses of any color were thematic today with the concurrent celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe . My parish doesn’t have a significant Mexican population as instead we have vibrant Haitian, Brazilian, Vietnamese and Nigerian communities. So we kept the remembrance simple with just a brief prayer in our of the Patroness of the Americas.
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When I was teaching in a Catholic school, I’d always show this excellent clip which includes both the story of Guadalupe and also scenes of how the holy garment is encountered today.
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To celebrate this 3rd Week of Advent, here’s another Spotify playlist that you might like to use for prayer and general enjoyment:
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I have them grouped by Psalm, so either listen to multiple (and diverse) song – with the lyrics of a single Psalm. Or, just hit “shuffle”
The four groups which are featured here are:
Poor Bishop Hooper’s Every Psalm Ministry
Ed Tech Emergent 