Jesus was born into this world to accomplish the Father’s plan for our salvation. At the age of twelve Jesus would speak intelligently about the scriptures, amazing all who listened with His wisdom and understanding. That scene foreshadows the teaching ministry of Jesus that would take place two decades later as crowds would gather from near and far to listen to Him preach. We are also part of the story, for we have the great privilege of listening to the Lord Jesus every time we open the Bible. Now, as then, His words have the capacity to inspire, convert, motivate and console.
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The Fourth Sunday of Advent highlights the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the story of our salvation. God chooses to enter into our human experience through the Blessed Mother. By assenting to the invitation of the angel Gabriel, Mary changes the course of human history. Her unconditional “Yes” to God’s will untangles the knot tied by the sin of Adam and Eve.
The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, a name that comes from the Latin word meaning “Rejoice!” As the rose candle on the Advent wreath is lit, we rejoice that Christmas is near. We rejoice in the fact that our God does not keep His distance from us, but enters into our human experience, shares our sorrows and our struggles, and takes upon His shoulders the weight of our sins so that we might dare to hope for the gift of eternal life. 
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