Joyful Expectation – The Third Week of Advent

As the third candle on the Advent wreath flickers into life, the season reaches a turning point.

Unlike the purple candles that represent solemn repentance, this pink candle symbolises joy, marking Gaudete Sunday. The mood shifts to a lighter, more celebratory anticipation because the arrival of Christmas is near.

This week invites us to focus specifically on Mary as the ultimate model of "living waiting".

In our modern adult lives, we often view waiting as "dead time"—an annoyance we endure while stuck in traffic or queuing at the post office. However, Mary’s experience was entirely different. Her waiting was active and purposeful. While carrying Jesus, she did not simply sit idle; she prepared her body and soul. She travelled to support her cousin Elizabeth and pondered the magnitude of the future in her heart.

For us,

adopting Mary’s attitude of living waiting means doing more than simply managing the logistics of the holidays. It suggests that our time of anticipation should be filled with action. This might mean engaging in acts of charity, offering patience to family members, or finding moments of quiet gratitude amidst the chaos. Mary teaches us that true preparation isn’t just about the external work of the season, but about actively making space in our lives for hope and joy.