Advent 2025: Third Sunday of Advent Reflection
In this third Sunday of Advent, Gaudate Sunday, we are invited to welcome the joy of belonging to God’s family. While the wounds in our family may be a source of division and sadness, Jesus comes to bring us into a new family, the family of God. We are invited to celebrate the coming of Jesus and the joy He offers to each of us, the joy of being beloved sons and daughters.
In highlighting two themes which are interconnected, joy and belonging, Fr. Alfredo reminds us that, “Sin challenges our sense of togetherness and belonging, but Christ coming into the world restores us to new life… a life in which we belong to His family.” Gaudate Sunday invites us to leave the penitential season of Advent, turning from a consideration of sin to that of God’s promised coming. While Fr. Alfredo acknowledges the sad reality of division not only in our families but in our society and our world, he also reminds us that we are called not to remain in sadness, but to open our hearts to the firmness of hope, patiently waiting for the new life that Jesus promises. This is the new life made manifest through the miracles that Jesus performed: healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and even raising the dead.
As we approach the celebration of Christmas, let us prepare our hearts to celebrate with joy. We have joy in as much as we experience that we belong to God, and thus we belong to one another as brothers and sisters. We are not alone. Jesus came into the world not as a distant stranger, but as the Beloved Son who introduces us into His family, with God as our Father. We belong to a holy family that stretches beyond time and cultures, beyond past and present, beyond all divisions. That is a reason to celebrate.
Prayer:
Jesus, as we approach the celebration of your coming, help us experience the joy of belonging to God’s family where love and peace reign. Heal the places in our hearts that lack hope as we wait for You. Make us ready to receive You when You come.
About Fr. Alfredo:
Fr. Alfredo was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ in June of this year for the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia. Although he was trained as a mechanical engineer, he decided to quit his job in research with the Navy to enter the seminary and give his life to God and His Church. Today, he serves at St. William of York in Stafford and loves every day of his priesthood. Each day is new and there is always so much more to learn.
About the author:
Emily Rochelle graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a Master’s in Catechesis and Evangelization in 2021 and completed a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Divine Mercy University in 2025. Having experienced her parents’ divorce while she was in elementary school, Emily has a heart of compassion for those who suffer and a deep desire to bring the healing love of Christ into people’s lives. For this purpose, Emily has begun a ministry called “Into the Heart of Mercy,” with the mission of making the merciful love of God known and experienced more deeply through formation, spiritual direction, retreats and resources. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, adopted son, and pet schnoodle.
Reflection Questions for Small Groups or Individuals:
Do you have anything special you do on Gaudate Sunday? If not, is there anything you would like to do, or consider doing, that further brings the teaching of this day into your heart and home?
Meditate on this line: “...we are called not to remain in sadness, but to open our hearts to the firmness of hope, patiently waiting for the new life that Jesus promises.” Take a moment to write down a few thoughts.
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