This week, we change pace a little. As opposed to a violet candle, we light a “rose” colored candle. This candle, the Shepherd’s candle, represents joy. This past Sunday also had a special name: Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” means “rejoice” and comes from the introit, “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.” (Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.) So why, when in the midst of a season of waiting, should we rejoice two weeks before Christmas?
Last week we reflected on the Prophet’s candle which represented hope. This past Sunday, we lit the “Bethlehem Candle” at Mass, which represents faith. When lighting this second violet candle, we remember the faith Mary and Joseph had in God’s promises as they headed towards Bethlehem.
With Thanksgiving behind us, we turn our attention towards Christmas. We call this season of anticipation for the coming of Our Lord in the Incarnation, “Advent.” Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, with each Sunday having its own theme represented by one of the four candles on the Advent wreath. Starting on the first Sunday of Advent, we light the first violet “Prophet’s Candle,” which symbolizes Hope.
Thanksgiving happens in the Fall and coincides with traditional dates of harvest. In fact, many Europeans at the time of the Pilgrims set aside days of thanks to God for successful harvests. The Pilgrims at Plymouth explicitly wanted to thank God for their bounty after having almost starved the prior Winter.
Our bodies tell us of our inherent value, regardless of our productivity. While sitting around doing nothing can make us feel useless, we have to realize that our worth comes from the fact that God made us in His own image and likeness, not from the work we produce.
Today marks the feast of a somewhat obscure saint in the minds of American Catholics: St. Martin of Tours. This particular feast used to hold particular importance in Medieval Europe, as it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of Winter. The occasion, often called “Martinmas” or “Old Halloween,” saw feasting, the giving of small gifts to children, and even marked the beginning of St. Martin’s Lent.
Our parents give us so much. From our very first heartbeat, they sacrifice no small amount of sweat, blood, and treasure to bring us to full adulthood. They love us unconditionally, and work to give us a good life. We, in turn, trust our parents implicitly, and try to give them the respect and obedience due to them. No other relationships in our lives can compare to the importance of that with our parents.
In biology the term “type specimen” refers to the first sample of a new species. With animals, the type specimen means the first dead body found. Until someone produces a type specimen for bigfoot, we cannot say for certain it exists. Without studying a physical body, all information about the beast will remain speculation. This explains why some people who believe in bigfoot come across a little crazy, they have no bodily specimen to limit their speculation.
Some things simply require a bodily experience to properly understand why we should have a healthy fear of it. God gave us a huge world to explore, and a sense of fear to keep us safe from danger. But even so, that fear should not keep us from legitimately pursuing our goals – the greatest of which is to love God above all else. But when we overcome our fears in pursuit of God, we come to a greater love of Him through the virtue of courage.
Pope John Paul II’s intercession after his death saved the lives and health of two women who prayed to him for help, thus securing his canonization in 2014.
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