Third Week of Advent: that pink candle! And more!

My column, "A Word in Season", gives my musings about the pink candle and some of the context for Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday in Advent, (or Joy Sunday as we call it in our house -- the Sunday we begin to decorate our home and look a bit more Christmas-y as we continue our Advent devotions.)  

Here's a snippet:

A common sight in Advent, the pink or rose candle lit on the Third Sunday is a harbinger, a signpost, a little light that stirs the imagination. Something is a little bit different this week . . .

And what are we paying attention to? A respite from purple candles?  Um, in a way, yes.  But there is a much bigger picture, a broader context than ambience and church décor.  Like so many visuals in the Mass, color is just one of the things that corresponds to the liturgical season, always pointing to a deeper truth.

If the purple candles are to remind us of the penitential and preparatory season of Advent, then the pink or rose candle is there to remind us of the soon coming joy of Christmas and the future joy of Christ's coming again. Therefore, the object of our love and devotion should animate our penance, prayer, and service.

 You'll find the rest here. And you'll find earlier columns here.  Interested in subscribing to this column? Do so here. I'd be much obliged to have you as a regular reader.