Third Sunday of Advent 2024 (Gaudete Sunday)

 What are you wearing?

Now, I'm not talking about your Sunday best!

I'm talking about something deeper. What are you wearing on the inside? What emotions, what attitudes, what spirit are you clothed in today?

Today, as we light this rose candle and I stand before you wearing these rose vestments, we are reminded of a particular "garment" we should all be striving to wear: joy. 

The color rose, vibrant and hopeful, speaks of the joy we anticipate as we journey closer to Christmas.

This beautiful color also brings to mind a recent celebration where color and vestments played a particularly powerful role – the rededication of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

I read a fascinating article in the New York Times this week about Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, the renowned designer chosen for the incredible honor of creating the vestments the bishops and priests wore for this momentous occasion. 

Imagine the weight of that commission – to clothe those leading the worship in a space resurrected from ashes, a symbol of faith and resilience reborn.

Castelbajac poured his heart and soul into those vestments, seeking to capture the spirit of hope and renewal that the rededication represented. 

He used rich fabrics, symbolic imagery, and vibrant colors to create garments that were both beautiful and meaningful.

And just as those vestments adorned those celebrating the rebirth of Notre Dame, so too does our joy adorn us as we anticipate the birth of Christ.  We are clothed in the hope and expectation of his coming.

The prophet Zephaniah, in our first reading today, doesn't just suggest joy, he practically shouts it from the rooftops! 

He calls on Jerusalem to rejoice, to sing aloud, to be glad and exult with all their heart. 

Why? Because God is in their midst, a mighty savior who will renew them with his love.

This same spirit of joy echoes in the words of St. Paul to the Philippians. "Rejoice in the Lord always," he urges them. "Again I say, rejoice!"

But what is the source of this joy? It's not simply the excitement of presents and parties. It's the deep and abiding joy that comes from knowing that God is with us, that he has not abandoned us, that he comes to save us.

In the Gospel, the crowds ask John the Baptist: "What should we do?" 

His answer is practical: share your cloak!  In other words: share what you are wearing!

John’s words challenge us to think of joy not just as an emotion but as a way of living that uplifts others.

The story of Notre Dame’s restoration is one of shared joy and effort. 

Hundreds of artisans, engineers, and craftspeople from around the world worked together to bring this symbol of faith and culture back to life. 

This collaborative effort reflects the Gospel’s call to generosity and action.

Advent asks us to share in this spirit of rebuilding—not necessarily of cathedrals but of lives. 

Like Notre Dame, which emerged from the devastating fire more beautiful and stronger than before, we too experience times of trial and darkness in our lives. Yet, through faith and perseverance, we are rebuilt and renewed.

Advent is a time for this kind of spiritual restoration. It's a time to examine those areas in our lives that need rebuilding, those places where we need Christ's light to shine.

Perhaps we've allowed cynicism or negativity to take root in our hearts. Maybe we've been consumed by busyness and neglected our relationship with God. Or perhaps we've allowed fear and anxiety to overshadow the joy of this season.

Whatever the case may be, Advent invites us to turn back to God, to confess our failings, and to allow his grace to transform us.

So, once again I ask you; What are you wearing?

Clothe yourself in hope, peace, and acts of love and think about how you can share that cloak with others.

Perhaps a neighbor struggling with loneliness or a family member weighed down by worries. 

As John the Baptist reminds us, our joy becomes authentic when we take action—when we clothe others with hope and compassion.

Like Notre Dame Cathedral rising from the ashes let us prepare our hearts for Christ, who comes to dwell with us, rebuild us, and clothe us in His peace and joy.