Third Sunday of Advent 2025

 Every year, right around this time, many people tell me the same thing: “Father, I know I’m supposed to feel joyful… but December feels heavy.”

The days are short. The calendar is full. The news is overwhelming. Some people are grieving. Some are anxious. Some are just exhausted. 

And you know what—I get it. This time of year can feel more like survival mode than joyful preparation.

And yet, the Church in her wisdom chooses this weekend—not Christmas Eve, not Easter, not the moment when everything feels calm—this weekend—to say: Gaudete. 

In the Latin language that is a command!

It doesn’t mean “joy is nice” or “you might consider rejoicing.” 

It literally means: “Hey you! Yes you! You rejoice.” 

It’s addressed to all of us—“All of you, rejoice!” 

A command, not a suggestion.

Which tells us something profound: 

Christian joy doesn’t wait for perfect conditions. 

Christian joy does not depend on everything going right. 

Christian joy is born from the conviction that God is near, even before we see the full picture.

Look at the readings.

Isaiah speaks of the desert rejoicing and blooming. 

The desert hasn’t disappeared—life is still harsh, dry, and exhausting—but something new begins to grow in the middle of it. 

“Strengthen the hands that are feeble,” Isaiah says. “Say to the frightened: be strong, fear not! Here is your God—He comes to save you.” 

Joy isn’t the result of God’s arrival. Joy is the announcement of it.

And in the Gospel, John the Baptist—this great prophet, this fiery preacher—is sitting in prison when he sends his disciples to Jesus. 

He’s discouraged. Confused. Wondering if he got it wrong: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 

That’s not a man overflowing with Christmas cheer. That’s someone who is tired and afraid.

And Jesus doesn’t rebuke him. He doesn’t say, “Come on, John, where’s your faith?”

• He simply says, “Go tell John what you see.”

• The blind see.

•  The deaf hear.

•  The lame walk.

•  The poor receive good news.

In other words: the Kingdom is already breaking in… even while you’re still in prison.

Joy—real joy—doesn’t come after everything is fixed.

Joy comes when we realize that God is already working, even in places that still look like deserts and prisons.

That’s why James tells us today, “Be patient… make your hearts firm.” 

Then he uses the example of a farmer.  The farmer doesn’t wait until the harvest to hope. 

He hopes while the seeds are still underground. He trusts in what he cannot yet see.

Friends, that is Advent joy: a joy rooted in faith, not in circumstances.

And let’s be honest—this is exactly the kind of joy many of us need right now. 

Because life doesn’t pause for Christmas. 

Illness doesn’t pause. 

Grief doesn’t pause. 

Anxiety, loneliness, worry, strained relationships, financial stress—none of it takes December off.

But God arrives anyway.

Joy breaks in anyway.

And so the Church says: “Hey you! Yes you! You rejoice.” 

Not because everything is perfect… but because God is near.

Where do we find this kind of joy?

We find it in the small kindnesses people show each other every day.

• We find it in families helping families.

• In the generosity of strangers.

• In healing that comes slowly but surely.

• In reconciliation that begins quietly.

• In a word of encouragement.

• In the simple reminder that God has not forgotten us.

Joy isn’t something we passively feel.

Joy is something we practice.

Joy is something we choose.

Joy is something we give.

So this week, be intentional with your joy:

• Smile at someone who looks worn out.

• Encourage someone who feels overwhelmed.

• Pray for someone who’s struggling.

• Lift up someone’s heart—because Isaiah tells us that joy grows when we strengthen one another.

My friends, the desert is blooming.
The Kingdom is already close.
The Lord is near.

So today, and in these last days before Christmas, let’s take the Church’s command to heart:

“Hey you! Yes you! You rejoice.” 

Not because everything is perfect… but because God is!