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December 13, 2009
3rd Sunday of Advent

Read

Read the seventh lesson from this year’s celebration of “Lessons and Carols.”

 

 

Daily Readings

Pray

Today, as we remember the elderly sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who have dedicated their lives to service with the Retirement Fund for Religious, pray for new vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
LORD, JESUS, we ask you
to send more servants to your people.
Choose from our parishes,
from our homes,
from our schools and colleges,
an abundant harvest
of apostles for your Kingdom: priests,
sisters, brothers, deacons and lay ministers.
We pray that those you call
may never lose awareness of the
dignity and need of their vocation.
O Virgin Mary,
Mother of the Church,
teach to all those the Master calls
to say a joyful "yes"
as you did at the Annunciation
Amen.
 —USCCB Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. 

Reflect

Pope Benedict XVI , St. Paul, 70
Joy
“Gaudete, iterum dico gaudete quia Dominus prope est.” [“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5).] Here we understand the reason why Paul, in all his sufferings, in all his trials, could only tell others to “rejoice”; he could say this because joy was present within him. . . . If the loved one, the love, the greatest gift of my life, is close to me; if I can be convinced that the person who loves me is beside me even in troubling situations, in the depths of my heart dwells a joy that is greater than all suffering. The Apostle could say “be happy” because the Lord is close to each one of us.

Reflection at the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
October 3, 2005

Act

Today, on what is known as Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, light the rose candle on your Advent Wreath and pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.