Today is the day we finally get to light that rose candle on our Advent wreaths. But have you ever wondered why the rose candle comes on the third Sunday of Advent? Why not the fourth? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the lightest candle right before Christmas? Now we have to go back to violet again next week. What’s the deal? In today’s homily I consider how it actually makes a lot of sense to have this day of rejoicing in the middle of Advent rather than at the end.
It is precisely in the middle of the dark times in our lives that we are most in danger of losing hope. Even John the Baptist seems to struggle in today’s gospel. His whole mission was to point out the Messiah to others… which he did! In fact, Jesus said he was the best of the best. Yet, as we find him in prison, at the darkest moment of his life, even this great prophet seems to doubt. “Is Jesus really the Messiah? Was I wrong?“
John’s questioning should give us all courage in the face of our own dark times. Everyone goes through these. But notice how Jesus chooses to help John. He doesn’t criticize him for some lack of faith. He doesn’t tell him to cheer up. Rather he says to remind John of the truth of what can be known. All of the things prophesied by Isaiah in our first reading are coming true. Jesus wants John to focus on the truth that he knows rather than give into the understandable feelings of despair in prison.
In today’s homily, I use an example from my life of flying airplanes to illustrate Jesus’ point. When you fly in a cloud you have to trust your instruments. The answer in times of darkness is to not rely on our feelings, but on what we know to be true. This is not easy. St. James uses the word “patience” in our second reading, a word that comes from the verb meaning “to suffer.”
There will always be suffering in this life. The key offered to us on this third Sunday of Advent is the call to trust what we know. There is light. In the midst of darkness, the truth shines like light. If you’re going through a rough time, keep going. Remain constant. Find reasons for joy no matter how you feel. Look for the rose candle not at the end, but in the middle of the violets.