This third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, calls us to rejoice—not with shallow cheer, but with the deep gladness that comes from knowing Christ is near. The rose candle flickers with hope, reminding us that joy is not a passing feeling but a gift born of His presence.
We are invited to prepare not only our homes for Christmas, but the dwelling place of our hearts. Let us make ready a crib within, adorned not with gold or glitter, but with the flowers of patience, mercy, and good deeds. In this cradle, Christ longs to rest, to grow, and to transform us.
Within each of us, He finds the blind to whom He can give sight, the lame whose steps He can restore, the weary whom He can raise to life. What He once did in the villages of Galilee, He now does in the hidden room of the soul—bringing light, healing, and resurrection.
Christ was born to suffer, to die, and to descend into the depths, so that none of us would be lost. He is the Way for the wandering, the Judge for the guilty, the Physician for the sick, and Life for the dead. His coming is not only a story of Bethlehem long ago, but a promise for us now: that He will restore life to all who desire to rise again.
So let us keep the door of our hearts open. Let us welcome Him with joy, not only in word but in deed, living in such a way that His immense goodness leads us not to judgment but to salvation. On this Gaudete Sunday, may our rejoicing be the fragrance of a life made ready for Christ, who alone is worthy.
Smitten With Goodness 