Joy: Advent 2022 Week 3
Advent | Christmas | Emmanuel | God with Us
Advent Series 2022
November 27, 2022 | December 4, 2022 | December 11, 2022 | December 18, 2022 | December 25, 2022
Happy Gaudete Sunday!
This day and this week is my favorite in the Advent season, outside of the Nativity, of course.
Gaudete = Latin for Rejoice!
Pronunciation:
Gau (hard G, au = owl with out the l)
dete (e = the Spanish “e”)
Early on Gaudete Sunday, I wake up and play an audio rendition of this 16th century Latin carol, singing loudly and with my heart full of joy.
Why? The refrain reminds me of the most important thing in life:
Gaudete, gaudete, Christus est natus (Rejoice! Rejoice! Christ is born)
Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! (of the virgin Mary, rejoice!)
God. In the flesh. Born fully God and fully man. Without sin, to be our sacrifice to free us from death. Raised from the dead to give us eternal life.
Immanuel. God with us.
Joy is found in Jesus, and in Him alone.
Joy in All Circumstances
What if you’re not feeling particularly joyful? What if circumstances are difficult?
Times are challenging right now in our local communities and all across our planet. Someone online (I forget his name), who follows world events closely, wrote that during 2023, we all will look back on 2022 with a fond melancholy, wishing for those better days. I keep track of world events also, not daily as he does. And sadly, I have to agree with him if things continue as they are politically and economically.
Why can we rejoice this Gaudete Sunday? Where’s God? Right in the thick of things. Let’s take a look at our Messiah’s mother, the Virgin Mary. They’re both mentioned at the very beginning of this 16th century Latin carol, and Mary’s life is filled with God in the thick of things in her challenging times.
During Roman occupation in Jesus’ day, life was difficult for those under Rome’s governance. As you know, under governor Quirinius, Joseph had to take a very pregnant Mary away from their home, family, and friends in Nazareth to his birth town of Bethlehem so Rome could count them in their census.
What a difficult situation! And yet, God encouraged Mary through her trial. She had the vivid memory of the angel Gabriel’s visitation, and then the shepherds’ visit to see her newborn son. I like to imagine that her weary body and heart filled with joy when they told her about the heavenly host that announced Jesus’ coming with the words “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to men on earth”. I also wonder if Joseph, a godly man who knew God’s word through his synagogue, would have wiped the sweat off Mary’s brow while she was in labor and reminded her of the many prophetic words, such as:
Isaiah 7:14 - a virgin will conceive and give birth to Immanuel, God with us
Micah 5:2 - Immanuel will be born in Bethlehem
Mary lived long enough to watch Jesus be nailed to a cross and die. A mother’s worst nightmare!
And then…three days later…Mary saw Him as her resurrected Savior and Lord. A faithful disciple’s greatest joy!
Jesus said in John 16:33 that we will have tribulations (challenges, difficult times) while we’re in this world. Remember what else He said?
“…be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”
And that, my dear sisters and brothers is why we can rejoice on Gaudete Sunday no matter our circumstances. Christ is born (His first coming fulfilled), and He will come again in power and glory. One day, you will be home with Him. So stand firm, dear child of God, and be strong in Him and in His mighty power.
Gaudete, the Latin Carol
Here are the English words of this beautiful 16th century Latin carol:
Rejoice, rejoice!
Christ is born
Of the Virgin Mary –
Rejoice!
The time of grace has come—
What we have wished for;
Songs of joy
Let us give back faithfully.
God has become man,
With nature marvelling,
The world has been renewed
By the reigning Christ.
The closed gate of Ezekiel
Is passed through,
Whence the light is risen;
Salvation has been found.
Therefore, let our assembly
Now sing in brightness
Let it bless the Lord:
Greetings to our King.
~~~~~
You can find the Latin lyrics online.
Gaudete, gaudete, Christus est natus (Rejoice! Rejoice! Christ is born)
Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! (of the virgin Mary, rejoice!)
Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus!
Soli Deo Gloria!
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