Deacon Scott's Homily

  Homily The Third Sunday of Advent December 14, 2025   Happy Advent! Grace and peace be with you on this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday—the day the Church lights the rose candle and tells us to rejoice. This is why our presider and I are wearing rose colored vestments. Tell me please – be honest; who wears it better; me or the candle? The Church drapes herself in the color rose to remind us that joy is breaking through the purple of penance, like the rays of dawn piercing the darkness of night. Yet true joy is not the superficial and fleeting happiness of a good meal or a festive song; it is the deep, unshakable confidence that God is near, that Emmanuel is coming.   We just spent the first two of four weeks in preparation for the coming of our Lord. Similar to Lent, we pray more fervently, we cut back on extras, we give generously to those we don’t know. This third Sunday of Advent is a time to rejoice as our preparations are beginning to pay off. We...