Guadete Sunday (Advent III, 2024)
Bible Readings: Isaiah 12.2-6; Philippians 4.4-7; Luke 3.7-18
My sermons throughout Advent have reflected on poetry, and this Sunday I’d like us to dwell on the poem, or song, of Gaudete: It’s a sacred Christmas Carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th Century. An English translation is below. The name ‘Gaudete’ in Latin means ‘Rejoice!’ – and is addressed in the plural. It’s a calling to us, as the Church body, to celebrate.
(You may ask, why are we celebrating Jesus’ birth before Christmas day has arrived? Well, this Sunday is a little grace –it’s like the pause as you climb a hill and discover a bench half-way up. Or the mid-morning snack, when you’ve had a busy morning but lunch is still far off. A moment to remind us what this season of Advent-preparation is leading up to.)
Guadete
Rejoice, rejoice!
Christ is born
Of the Virgin Mary –
Rejoice!
The time of grace has come—
What we have wished for;
Songs of joy
Let us give back faithfully.
God has become man,
With nature marvelling,
The world has been renewed
By the reigning Christ.
The closed gate of Ezekiel
Is passed through,
Whence the light is risen;
Salvation has been found.
Therefore, let our assembly
Now sing in brightness
Let it bless the Lord:
Greetings to our King.
There’s something ancient and powerful which is captured in the way this song is sung. The repetition of “Guadete! Guadete!” is like a heartbeat. Whatever ideas or images come up, the song brings us back to that heartbeat. Giving strength.
This week I’ve felt busy – visiting three schools in our parish, and having one visit church, as well as our usual Foodbank and Toddler Group. At times I’ve felt a bit stressed and there are moments when I just needed to be ‘grounded’ again. Do you know what I mean?
Sometimes you just need to pick up the phone to a friend, just to hear their voice, or talk things through with a brother or sister in Christ. To recharge and re-centre.
Well, that repeating refrain grounds the song for me. Whatever else Christmas might be about for you – Christ is born and we can wrap both hands around that and hold on to that truth with joy. Whether Christmas for you is full of happy family and friends,
or the pain of missing loved ones and family disagreements.
The lovely surprises of gifts and food,
or the long cold nights. – We have been given a gift that many generations longed for but did not know: Christ the Lord.
It can be easy for us to take Jesus for granted, especially those of us like me who grew up in the Church. I’ve always lived in the knowledge that God walks with us through Jesus. When I’ve felt guilty or had low self-esteem, I was told that Jesus loves me and forgives me, and over time this has begun to sink in, especially as I got to know Him.
Throughout this song there is a recognition that Jesus was long waited for. In the second stanza, there’s the line “The time of grace has come— What we have wished for”. This line puts me in mind of the Old Testament Prophets who longed so much for the promised Messiah. To make the world right and bring healing and light.
The calling to rejoice – expressed so insistently by Saint Paul in the Philippians passage – is made possible because God has come close in Jesus. There’s something life changing to celebrate here!
As we sit with this medieval song, I wonder what we might take away for the week ahead.
I wonder if it speaks to you of the mystery of the incarnation. I love the obscure phrase “The closed gate of Ezekiel is passed through” come and ask me about it over coffee. I had to do some digging to uncover that one.
Like the repeated refrain, “Gaudete! Gaudete!” I wonder what grounds you at this time of year. What helps you to focus on keeping Advent special, and preparing your heart to receive Jesus afresh?
I commend to you the carol service tonight, as we sit in darkness and yet hear of the arrival of the Light of the World. Hearing the old familiar carols sung always stirs me. The timelessness of God connects with the timelessness of those songs.
It may be that you’re finding your diary is a bit too busy at this time of year. Buying the Christmas presents and arranging to visit people, and finishing work for the year well… Can you carve out time to go for a walk so you can walk-and-talk with God in prayer? It’s when things get really busy when it’s more important than ever to pause and pray.
For others, the run up to Christmas can be too quiet. Too much time and loneliness. Know that God sees you. Might time be turned into prayer? Perhaps spend some time re-read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth and pondering the mystery.
As I make time to reflect on poems this Advent, more than anything else I am moved by the way words can evoke feelings and nostalgia which make me feel small, but also remind me how much greater God is than we can ever know. Like being in the countryside and looking up and seeing all the stars: God is loving and comes to lead us out of darkness and into the light. The light of a thousand stars.
Gaudete! People rejoice! Our God comes. Amen.
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