LOGOS Mr Paul Corrigan, Chaplain at JPII Previous Publications

Purple - Purple - Rose - Purple
That is the order that we light the advent candles. Not surprisingly, most people ask about the pink… I mean rose one.

Rose is the color of joy, the color of rejoicing. And it's so special that the priest may wear rose vestments on only two days of the year. Last Sunday was one of those times

So why are we rejoicing this week? Why is it a week of joy? Because the light is coming! The light of the world is coming, and will soon be here. John the Baptist testified to the light, and told us "prepare the way of the Lord make straight his paths!" We can rejoice today because we know that God's salvation is coming soon. We can rejoice this week because we know that Christ has already come, and will come again.

To live a Catholic life is to live in a world of "both... and". Jesus has both come already, and will come again. God's salvation has both been given to us now and is yet to be made complete. Creation has both been redeemed, and that redemption has yet to be consummated and fulfilled.

And so we rejoice. We rejoice because Christ has come - he came as an infant in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago, and we will celebrate that coming in just two short weeks - and because he is yet to come, he is to come again!

That is why St. Paul tells us to "rejoice always". Indeed, this week gets its very name from rejoicing. Traditionally, this last Sunday has always been known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for "Rejoice." And the old Latin chant that was always sung on this day also tells us of rejoicing.

Rejoice in the Lord always! I say again, rejoice!

God bless you and your family this Christmas.