A Reflection on Gaudete Sunday

Finding Joy When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan

Picture the scene: I am sitting in an auditorium, beaming with joy. The band, Steeleye Span, has just finished playing "Gaudete." I turn to my wife, Tracey, expecting her to share my delight. Her response? "Next time, you're coming by yourself!"

It wasn't her cup of tea. While I was rejoicing, she was definitely not.

This creates a perfect backdrop for the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete (or "Rejoice") Sunday. On this day, we light the rose-coloured candle on the Advent wreath to represent joy. The readings speak of deserts blossoming and wilderness rejoicing. But in the Gospel reading, we find John the Baptist in a situation that feels far from joyful.

From Wilderness to Walls

We are used to picturing John as a wild, free figure baptising in the Jordan River. But by this point in the story, his perspective has shifted drastically. He has gone from wide-open spaces to the captivity of a prison cell.

Confined and facing death for speaking the truth to Herod, John does something unexpected. He sends a message to Jesus asking: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

This question comes from the man who leapt in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus. The man who saw the dove descend at Jesus' baptism. Now, in the darkness of a cell, he wonders if he bet his life on the wrong person.

The Crisis of Expectation

Why the doubt? Because John had expectations. Based on the prophecies of Isaiah, John expected a Messiah with a winnowing fork and an axe—someone to burn the chaff, judge the wicked, and set up a new government.

Instead, Jesus is preaching mercy, eating with sinners, and healing the sick. To John, looking through prison bars, it doesn't look like the "cleaning up" of the world he anticipated.

Jesus’ Response: Look at the Evidence

Jesus doesn't get angry at John’s doubt. He responds with gentleness and points John back to the other parts of Isaiah's prophecies.

"Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them." (Matthew 11:4-5)

Jesus is essentially saying: John, you are focused on the endgame, the judgement and the reigning. We will get there. But look at what is happening right now. The healing, the restoration, the mercy. It is all happening exactly as scripture said it would.

Trusting the Timeline

We are often like John. When we watch the news, see wars, or suffer personal injustice, we want to skip to the end. We want Jesus to come back now, fix the mess, and vindicate the righteous. We want the "winnowing fork."

But Jesus operates on a different timeline. He assures John—and us—that the plan is unfolding as it should. The Kingdom is breaking in, just not in the way we might have designed it.

Redefining Joy

So, what does this mean for us on "Rejoice Sunday"?

It suggests that joy isn't just about happy sentiments or everything going our way. John the Baptist is the patron saint of spiritual joy, yet he likely died in that prison cell. Perhaps he learned that true joy isn't the absence of suffering, but the confidence that God is who He says He is.

Joy happens when we dare to believe that God's work is bigger than our current circumstances.

If you are asking today, "Are you the one, Jesus, or should I look for another?", look at the evidence. Look at the lives changed, the blind seeing, and the hope given to the poor. The King is here, and His plan is good.

Next Step: Take a moment this week to read Isaiah 35. Instead of focusing on what God hasn't done yet in your life, try to list three evidences of His grace that you can see happening right now.

Fr Martin