CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL LAY LEADERS OF 
SAN ROQUE PARISH, Cabrera St.,Pasay City for having finished the Basic Bible Seminar conducted from February-November 2018. The Graduation Exercise is set on December 16, 2018 at the parish church. Congrats, once again...

Catechesis: WHAT IS ADVENT?

In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, "to come to," and refers to the coming of Christ. This refers, first of all, to our celebration of Christ's birth at Christmas; but second, to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and finally, to His second coming at the end of time.
Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.

First We Fast, Then We Feast
That's why Advent has traditionally been known as a "little Lent." As in Lent, Advent should be marked by increased prayer, fasting, and good works. While the Western Church no longer has a set requirement for fasting during Advent, the Eastern Church (both Catholic and Orthodox) continues to observe what is known as Philip's Fast, from November 15 until Christmas.
Traditionally, all great feasts have been preceded by a time of fasting, which makes the feast itself more joyful. Sadly, Advent today has supplanted by "the Christmas shopping season," so that by Christmas Day, many people no longer enjoy the feast.

The Symbols of Advent
In its symbolism, the Church continues to stress the penitential and preparatory nature of Advent. As during Lent, priests wear purple vestments, and the Gloria ("Glory to God") is omitted during Mass. The only exception is on the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday when priests can wear rose-colored vestments. As on Laetare Sunday during Lent, this exception is designed to encourage us to continue our prayer and fasting, because we can see that Advent is more than halfway over.

The Advent Wreath
Perhaps the best-known of all Advent symbols is the Advent wreath, a custom which originated among German Lutherans but was soon adopted by Catholics. Consisting of four candles(three purple and one pink) arranged in a circle with evergreen boughs (and often a fifth, white candle in the center), the Advent wreath corresponds to the four Sundays of Advent. The purple candles represent the penitential nature of the season, while the pink candle calls to mind the respite of Gaudete Sunday. (The white candle, when used, represents Christmas.)
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Celebrating Advent
We can better enjoy Christmas--all 12 days of it, from Christmas Day to Epiphany—if we revive Advent as a period of preparation. Abstaining from meat on Fridays, or not eating at all between meals, is a good way to revive the Advent fast. (Not eating Christmas cookies or listening to Christmas music before Christmas is another.) We can incorporate such customs as the Advent wreath, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, and the Jesse Tree into our daily ritual, and we can set some time aside for special scripture readings for Advent, which remind us of the threefold coming of Christ.
Holding off on putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations is another way to remind ourselves that the feast is not here yet. Traditionally, such decorations were put up on Christmas Eve, but they would not be taken down until after Epiphany, in order to celebrate the Christmas season to its fullest.
 by Scott P. Richert
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT(C)
DECEMBER 16, 2018
​GAUDETE SUNDAY

SHOUT FOR JOY!



I. THE READING

The First Reading exhorts the sorrowing to rejoice. It enumerates many reasons why we should rejoice: coming of the savior, no more misfortunes.

The Second Reading likewise exhorts Christians to rejoice, because the coming of the Lord is near.

And the Gospel does not explicitly exhort us to rejoice, but surely, if all of us do what Saint John the Baptist is telling us, there will be rejoicing, especially those who have not 


II. OUR CONTEXT
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1. Today is Gaudete Sunday. Make a list of reasons why you should be joyful. Share.

2. Today is also the start of Simbang Gabi.

​3. Shared sorrow is half pain; shared joy is double bliss! Share

-from ThoughtCo.com.:
"When is Gaudete?Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent. The date usually falls between December 11 to 17 each year. (See the Liturgical Calendar for Advent to find the date of Gaudete Sunday this year.)
"Where Does the Name Come From?The Introit for Gaudete Sunday, in both the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo, is taken from Philippians 4:4,5: "Gaudete in Domino semper" ("Rejoice in the Lord always").
"Priest ClothingLike Lent, Advent is a penitential season, so the priest normally wears purple vestments. But on Gaudete Sunday, having passed the midpoint of Advent, the Church lightens the mood a little, and the priest may wear rose vestments. The change in color provides us with encouragement to continue our spiritual preparation—especially prayer and fasting—for Christmas.
"DecorFor this same reason of lightening the mood, the third candle of the Advent wreath, first lit on Gaudete Sunday, is traditionally rose-colored."


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