If you’ve ever been up before sunrise, you may have seen the sky changing from dark to a beautiful rosy color as the sunlight begins to shine on the new day.  The third Sunday in Advent is a little like that.  The opening prayer for Mass is this:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!             The Lord is at hand.” 

Sometimes you’ll hear this day referred to as Gaudete (gau-DAY-tay) Sunday because that Latin word for “rejoice,” is the first word in the prayer that begins the Mass. Indeed we do have great reason to rejoice.  Advent is half over and we can see the light of Christ dawning on the horizon!