By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted December 12, 2025

(See the readings for the Third Sunday of Advent)

Advent is the season of hope. It provides the Christian community a period of time to bolster our hope and to be strengthened by this virtue for our continued journey through life. The four Sundays of Advent provide us an opportunity to reflect on several aspects of our faith that help bolster our hope: vigilance, repentance, transformation and reliance. Today, we consider transformation.

Sunrise is a beautiful experience to see. At different locations around the world there are local traditions for watching a sunrise. One such is on Mount Sinai in Egypt. Pilgrims will climb the mountain during the day and camp out overnight just so they can experience the sunrise from the top. In our area a lot of people who live down the shore or go there on vacation, will go down to the beach in the early morning while still dark so they can see the sunrise from the shore.

In such expanses of space, it is wonderful to see those first gleams of light, well before the sun breaks the horizon up to the point when the sun is fully visible and its brightness is all encompassing. We watch the transformation from dark to light with anticipation and hope.

The transformation is a change, a good change. The fears of night are dispelled; isolation is replaced with gathering and cold of night is replaced by the warmth of the sun. Sunrise is something we can all count on; we rely on it; we not only hope it will happen we know it will happen. Now there may be varying degrees of awareness depending on, for example, cloud coverage, our ability to see, our location and weather conditions but the sun rises every day dispelling the darkness and bringing in light.

Perhaps we can think of this image to get a general concept of the powerful force that God’s grace brings us in Christ Jesus. The world has been transformed by the advent of His love. He came among us and we saw in the flesh, the living God. Through the ultimate gift of love, His very self, He has won for us a share in His divine life. The darkness of death is transformed by the light of resurrection.

The transformation that has taken place in and through Christ Jesus is a cause for great celebration. This Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, is referred to as Gaudete Sunday. The title comes from a verse of St. Paul used as the opening antiphon for Mass: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” (cf. Philippians 4:4-6).

The liturgical color, rose, moves us from the dark purple as a call to rejoice that while we await the Lord’s return, and as we prepare for the celebration of His first coming, He has come already and abides with us.

The Gospel passage for Sunday’s liturgy recalls John the Baptist sending a messenger to Jesus who asks: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus does not answer this directly; rather he tells the messenger to report what he sees: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

The world is being transformed. The words recall the first reading when Isaiah prophesied the effects of divine mercy on the world.

God’s healing love has been poured out on the world in Christ Jesus. That love has the power to heal, to transform that which was damaged, broken, tired and sore. We are reminded that God’s healing love continues to be poured out on the world in Christ Jesus. That healing love has the power to heal, restore, enliven and unite. It is this love which is the well spring of hope.

The season of Advent affords us time to allow God’s mercy to transform us. The conversion of heart that takes place renews us on the journey and bolsters our hope. One aspect of conversion is repentance, which we encountered last week. Another aspect is the transformation from good to good, or good to better. In other words, allowing the grace of God to draw us deeper and deeper into His divine love so that we might more vividly reflect that love in the world; and be an instrument of His light, a light that shines in the darkness.

The second reading, from the Letter of James, reminds us that patience is needed. In our fast-paced world patience can be challenging. Conversion of heart takes place slowly, indeed it is a life-long process. The continual turning away from the world and turning to God draws us deeper and deeper into the mystery of His love, but it takes time, prayer and a stillness that is sometimes difficult to find in this climate.

Carving out time for the Lord in prayer is especially important in this regard. Establishing a routine is helpful. If morning is the only quiet time at home, try to get some time before the family gets up. If midday offers an opportunity, try to find a church near your work and make a visit; some churches in center city have midday masses which is a great opportunity for prayer. If evening is best, try to find a quiet place in your home to spend some time reading the Scriptures or saying the rosary.

Establishing a routine, or pattern of quiet prayer, will afford us the time to allow God’s grace to continue to shape and mold us into the image of Him who we serve.

Another aspect of our time, related to the fast-paced life which may prove challenging, is instant gratification. We are so used to getting things we want fast. If we want food quickly, we can go to a fast-food restaurant or a convenience store. If we see something we like and we want it quickly, we sign into Amazon and can have the item, in some cases, the same day.

The inner transformation that we seek, however, does not work on a time-schedule. It’s good to remember that we are not the “driving force” — God is, and His work is not limited by time. This is another reason to listen to James’ call for patience.

God’s grace, constantly at work within us, molds and shapes us into the person He calls us to be. The transformation that takes place is the conversion of heart. This ongoing transformation fuels our hope and lights the path forward on our journey of life.

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Read more reflections by Msgr. Joseph Prior here.