7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday which comes from the Latin word for “rejoice”. We are called to celebrate because we know our waiting will have a joyous end. For this reason, we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath, and the priest’s vestments are also more colorful. The readings, of course, reflect this joy.
The second reading is from the letter of James and is a call for hope and for patience in a community under persecution. Life is not always very easy, but we can be confident in the Lord who helps us to endure many difficulties. We do not know how long we will have to wait, but all will end well. For this reason, we can embrace the idea that the Lord’s coming is imminent. Of course, at the time when James wrote, many Christians expected the Second Coming to occur soon. We may not do so now, but the theme is still very much in keeping with Advent, as we wait in joyful hope for the blessing of Christmas.
James believes that Christians’ ability to wait and endure comes from our faith. James gives us the example of a farmer, who patiently tills the soil, confident in the future harvest. The farmer knows that God sends the rain and that God will not let him down (although there may be problems at times). In the same way, Christians must wait for Christ’s return, certain that it will happen, even if we do not know when and even though we face difficulties along the way.
But, for James, this waiting must always be done as a community, and so in verse nine, he warns us that we must act with respect and love towards each other. Jesus said, “judge not that you be not judged,” and we must always keep these words in mind. It is all too easy to see others’ failures and often very difficult to see our own, but if we want mercy shown to us, we must do the same to others. James advises Christians to look to the example of the prophets, who were almost invariably rejected by the political and religious leaders of their time. Yet, they continued to obey the Lord, in spite of all suffering. And so must we continue in joyful hope, for Christmas will come.
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