Rejoice: Waiting Well for Christ in the Now

On this Third Sunday of Advent—Gaudete Sunday—we pause at the halfway point and rejoice because the Lord is near. Advent teaches us how to wait: not only for the remembrance of Jesus’ birth, but also for his coming again and for the daily encounters where he meets us now. We feel the pull of two temptations—nostalgia for what once was and anxiety about what might be. Both can distract us from the grace that is only available in the present moment. Joy grows when we learn to wait well, here and now.

John the Baptist helps us. He had fulfilled his calling—pointed to the Lamb, watched the Spirit descend, and then found himself confined in prison. From that lonely place, he asked the honest question: “Are you the one?” Jesus didn’t simply send back a “yes.” He pointed to what was actually taking place: the blind see, the lame walk, the poor hear good news. In other words, look at the evidence of God’s work and let that evidence steady your heart. That is how hope matures—by attending to what God is doing, not just what we fear or wish for.

This is why the Sabbath matters. We give God our time so that he can give us himself. The Eucharist anchors us in the present, trains our attention, and forms us to recognize Christ’s action in the ordinary and the difficult alike. We bring to mind the concrete ways God has met us in the past—moments of healing, reconciliation, and peace—not to cling to them but to let them illumine today’s decisions. When we stop living primarily in the rearview mirror or in the imagined future, we can offer the best of ourselves now—our love, our attention, our courage.

One day we will see our lives moment by moment before the Lord. The question won’t be whether we perfectly controlled outcomes, but whether we loved well in the time we were given. Waiting well is not passive; it’s a steady, present-tense communion with Jesus that shapes how we work, forgive, celebrate, and suffer. May he grant us grace to be attentive, to say yes in this hour, and to become signs of his nearness for others who are learning to wait.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Rejoicing means learning to wait well. Joy isn’t denial of pain; it’s the fruit of attending to Christ’s presence in the present moment. We rejoice because the Lord is near, not because circumstances are easy or predictable. Advent forms our attention so that our hope is rooted in God’s nearness rather than our timelines. [19:10]
• 2. John’s honest doubt instructs us. From prison, John asks if Jesus is truly the One, and Jesus answers by pointing to what is happening: healing, raising, proclaiming. Faith grows by contemplating real signs of grace, not by chasing perfect certainty. Honest questions can become doorways to deeper trust when we let evidence of God’s work speak. [22:29]
• 3. Give God time to anchor now. Sabbath and Eucharist train our souls to live in the holy present. When we offer God our time, he re-orders our loves, quiets reactionary fear, and restores clarity. Anchored in worship, we can make courageous, loving decisions right where we stand. [25:12]
• 4. Remembered graces fuel present fidelity. Looking back is fruitful when it recalls specific mercies that clarify today’s obedience. We don’t idolize the past; we let it witness to God’s character so we can act now with steady confidence. The covenant of forgiveness we receive empowers us to show mercy today. [40:21]
• 5. Love is measured moment by moment. At the judgment, the Lord will reveal our life as a tapestry of moments—opportunities to love. Our task isn’t to control outcomes but to give our best attention and charity in the present. This is how hope becomes active and joy becomes credible. [55:35]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:30] - Penitential Act and Kyrie
• [02:00] - Collect: Prayer for Joyful Waiting
• [04:00] - Gospel: John the Baptist’s Question
• [19:10] - Gaudete Sunday: Rejoice and Wait
• [22:29] - John in Prison: Learning to Trust
• [25:12] - Waiting Well and the Sabbath
• [28:22] - Profession of Faith
• [36:21] - Preface: Advent Longing and Praise
• [40:21] - Consecration: Covenant for Forgiveness
• [44:25] - Lord’s Prayer and Sign of Peace
• [48:30] - Communion and Bambinelli Blessing
• [55:35] - Parish Joys and Final Blessing
• [57:30] - Dismissal: Go in Peace

1. What specific deeds does Jesus point to as evidence that the Messiah is present (the things the disciples were to report)? [22:29]
2. The text identifies two temptations in waiting: nostalgia for what once was and anxiety about what might be. Where have you noticed these two pulls in your own life? [19:10]
3. How does the practice of Sabbath (giving God our time) and receiving the Eucharist get described as helping people live in the present? [25:12]
4. What kinds of “remembered graces” (past healings, reconciliations, moments of peace) does the reading suggest should be brought to mind to steady present decisions? [40:21]

1. How does listing present deeds (the blind see, the lame walk, the poor hear good news) function as the kind of “evidence” that turns honest doubt into steady hope for someone like John in prison? [22:29]
2. In what ways do nostalgia and anxiety actually block a person from receiving the grace that is available in the present moment? Be specific about the inner movements involved. [19:10]
3. In what practical sense does offering time to God (Sabbath/Eucharist) “re-order loves” and train attention so that people make courageous, loving decisions now? [25:12]
4. What does it mean theologically that love will be measured moment by moment at the judgment — not by control of outcomes but by how a person loved in the time given? [22:29]

1. Waiting well requires attention to the present. What is one habit (phone checking, replaying past hurts, planning outcomes) that most pulls you out of the present? What one concrete change will you try this week to interrupt that habit? [19:10]
2. Jesus points to concrete signs of God’s work as proof to steady the heart. Name one specific recent sign or mercy you can point to in your life. How will remembering that particular mercy shape a decision you face this week? [40:21]
3. Honest doubt is a doorway, not a failure. What honest question about faith or life are you carrying now? Who will you bring that question to, and what specific signs of God’s work will you look for as you wait for an answer? [22:29]
4. Sabbath and Eucharist are meant to form attention. What will you change about your Sunday (or weekly) rhythm this week so that you truly give time to God? Be specific (e.g., arrive 10 minutes early, put devices away, make a brief examen after Mass). [25:12]
5. The judgment will show our life as moments for loving. Think of one relationship where you can give the “best of yourself” this week (time, apology, listening, practical help). What concrete action will you take and when will you do it? [22:29]
6. When anxiety tempts you to control an outcome you cannot control, what will be your practiced response (a prayer phrase, a breathing practice, calling a friend, reading a remembered grace)? Commit now to a specific practice for the next time that anxiety rises. [19:10]