“Re-jubilation” is a word that I made up to describe what Advent Season and Christmastime are all about. The four weeks of Advent before Christmas and the twelve days of Christmastime are all about rejuvenating our Christian joy each year. So, we can use the word “re-jubilation” to best describe the annual rejuvenation of the Joy of Christ within us.
Around the advent wreath, we light the four candles to mark the weeks before Christmas. Remembering the great gift of the First Advent of Christ and looking forward to Christ’s return at his Second Advent to come, we light the candles on the wreath that each symbolize a specific grace of God. And the four graces symbolized by the candles of this special holiday wreath are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
While most Roman Catholics use purple candles for the Advent wreath, most Protestants use royal blue, representing the hope of our Messiah King, Jesus Christ. Traditionally, the third Sunday in Advent was a pink candle to represent the joy of the season. In fact, among traditional Catholics, the third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday” and Gaudete is Latin for “Rejoice.” And this refers to the biblical exhortation to always “Rejoice in the Lord” because “The Lord is near” and is offering us “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” through daily prayer to “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (See Philippians 4:4-7).
So we rejoice always because of the nearness of our Lord to us through prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, we also need to be reminded each year of the Heart and Center of our rejoicing. We need to be reminded and re-jubilated by the grace and truth of the Incarnation of God the Son for the sake of the world.
“Do not be afraid, for I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,the Lord.”
Luke 2:10
So let us not be afraid, and let us rejoice always, because we have good news of great joy for all people: Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior, was born to us, lived and ministered among us, was crucified and raised for us, and will return for us to establish God’s kingdom in its fullness. Thanks be to God! Hallelujah!
May we be RE-JUBILATED during this Advent Season and Christmastime! May we be re-jubilated in the gospel, and may we be filled with the four graces of hope, peace, joy, and love.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and rightspirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willingspirit.
Psalm 51:10-12
All of this re-jubilation in Christ is indeed the greatest gift any of us could ever receive during this special time of year. And, through an attitude of gratitude and deeds of charitable service, we are called to let this wonderful gift overflow through us to others.
Good Advent & Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!! Pastor Tim