Gaudete Sunday: Rejoicing for All

Advent Mass

Gaudete! Rejoice!

As it does each year, the Georgetown community gathered last December to celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Named for the first word of its opening chant, Gaudete Sunday marks the third Sunday of Advent and (for Georgetown) the final major university liturgy of the fall semester. This year, we rejoiced for…

…the companionship of our fellow Hoyas. Members and friends of Georgetown’s Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic communities gathered together to sing, pray, reflect, and enjoy fellowship. Many alumni also returned for this annual event. We remembered that we are stronger when we come together.

…the wisdom of our mentors. Fr. Joseph Lingan, in his last year as rector of the Jesuit Community, offered the homily. We gave thanks for his six years of service to the university and remembered to savor our time with teachers and friends.

…the passage from darkness into light. The Gaudete Mass began in the cold, dimly-lit Dahlgren Quad; then, during the opening song, “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” the assembly processed into the warm, bright Gaston Hall. This transition recalled our spiritual journeys as we waited in the darkness of Advent for the light of Christ’s birth.

…a sacred pause in the midst of chaos. Between final exams, holiday preparations, and end-of-year travel, December can be a tough time for many. Gaudete Sunday reminded us to become quiet, take a breath, and invite God’s peace into our lives.

May we carry these lessons into the Spring 2017 semester and beyond.

Written by Laura Wagstaff, Assistant Director of Music and Liturgy