Collect Series

The Mass: Collect Series icon

The Collect for the 3rd Sunday of Advent Year A reads as follows:

O God who sees how your people 
faithfully await for the feast of the Lord's Nativity
enable us we pray to attain the joys of so great a salvation
and to celebrate them always 
with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.
We make this prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ
who lives and reigns with Him and the Holy Spirit, 
one God for ever and ever.

 
In making this prayer tangible for my life during the week, the following reflections questions emerged:

1. How will I faithfully await for the Lord's Nativity?
2. What are the joys of so great a salvation- what does this mean to me?
3. How do I celebrate these joys always?
4. What does solemn worship mean to me?
5. What might glad rejoicing  be like to me?
6. What will I do this week to maintain a spirit of waiting with joyful expectation?

 

Gospel Reflection

Theme: “Are You the One Who Is to Come?”

 

Setting the Scene

John the Baptist, now imprisoned, hears of Jesus’ deeds and sends his disciples to ask: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus responds not with a simple “yes,” but by pointing to His works: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor receive good news. These are the signs foretold by Isaiah of the Messiah’s mission.

Jesus then speaks to the crowd about John, affirming his greatness as the prophet who prepared the way, yet declaring that even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

 

Gospel Reflection: Promises Unfolding

This passage draws us into the mystery of expectation and fulfilment. John, who boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, now wrestles with doubt in prison. His question is honest: “Are you the one?” Advent is often marked by this same tension — longing for God’s promises, but waiting in the dark.

Jesus’ answer is profound: look at the signs. The Kingdom is breaking in. The works of mercy and healing reveal that God’s promises are being fulfilled, even if not in the way John imagined. The Messiah has come not as a warrior to overthrow Rome but as the Servant who restores, heals, and brings life.

For us, too, faith in Advent means recognising God’s presence in unexpected ways. The promise of joy does not mean freedom from hardship — John remains in prison — but the assurance that God’s Kingdom is truly here, even in the midst of struggle.

 

Personal Reflection

I hear John’s question echo in my own life: “Are You the one?” Sometimes I long for God to act more swiftly or more obviously. Yet Jesus points me to the signs of life and healing around me — small but real works of His Kingdom.

Advent joy is not shallow cheerfulness but deep confidence that God is at work, even when I cannot yet see the whole picture. Like John, I am invited to trust that Jesus is indeed the One, and that His works speak louder than my doubts.

 

Gospel Reflection: Promises Unfolding

This passage draws us into the mystery of expectation and fulfilment. John, who boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, now wrestles with doubt in prison. His question is honest: “Are you the one?” Advent is often marked by this same tension — longing for God’s promises, but waiting in the dark.

Jesus’ answer is profound: look at the signs. The Kingdom is breaking in. The works of mercy and healing reveal that God’s promises are being fulfilled, even if not in the way John imagined. The Messiah has come not as a warrior to overthrow Rome but as the Servant who restores, heals, and brings life.

For us, too, faith in Advent means recognising God’s presence in unexpected ways. The promise of joy does not mean freedom from hardship — John remains in prison — but the assurance that God’s Kingdom is truly here, even in the midst of struggle.

 

Questions for Reflection

1. Where do I find myself asking John’s question: “Are you the one?”
2. How do I recognise the signs of Christ’s Kingdom breaking into my life today?
3. What expectations of God might I need to let go of, so I can see His presence more clearly?
4. How does John’s honesty in doubt give me courage to bring my own questions to God?
5. What “works of mercy” can I practise this week to bear witness to Christ’s presence?

Gaudete Sunday: Rejoice!

Today is known as Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin gaudete, meaning “rejoice.” The name comes from the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Church invites us to pause in our waiting and recognise the joy that Christ is near. This is why the liturgical colour shifts from violet to rose. Rose vestments and the rose candle on the Advent wreath symbolise joy breaking into the penitential season, a reminder that Advent is not only about repentance but also about hope and glad expectation.

Gaudete Sunday also mirrors Laetare Sunday in Lent — another rose-coloured day that marks a moment of joy and encouragement in the midst of a penitential season. Both days call us to lift our eyes and rejoice that God’s promises are unfolding, even if not yet fully realised.

 

Advent Connection (Joy)

On Gaudete Sunday, we are invited to rejoice: “The Lord is near!” This joy is not based on circumstances — John remained in prison — but on recognising Christ at work. True joy flows from knowing that God’s promises are being fulfilled here and now. The signs of the Kingdom — healing, mercy, good news for the poor — are cause for rejoicing.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
when doubts rise within me,
remind me of Your works of mercy and love.
Open my eyes to the signs of Your Kingdom,
and fill me with the deep joy of knowing You are the One.
Help me to rejoice in Your presence,
even in the midst of waiting and struggle.
Amen.