In The Depths of Who I Am, I Rejoice! | Monday Invocation
“Mary said, ‘With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. ... God has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed.’”
Luke 1:46-47; 52-53 CEB
This week, we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, which many churches mark by lighting the pink candle on the Advent wreath, symbolizing joy. Gaudete (pronounced GOW-deh-tay), the Latin word for rejoice, offers us a pause in the dark and still of Advent. While the whole of Advent is a season of preparation and waiting for the arrival of God’s son, Gaudete Sunday invites us to reflect on what God has already done for us, to rejoice in the goodness of God as we already know God.
In week 1 and week 2, Isaiah envisioned a future world full of the impossibilities of God’s kin-dom, while recognizing the suffering of the present day. In the midst of such pain, both in Isaiah’s world and in our own, rejoicing may seem out of place, even insensitive; it may feel like we are simply in denial. In today's passage from Luke, Mary does not deny the realities of suffering, but she reminds us that God is already active, already at work alongside us—not in some far-distant future but right here, right now. She rejoices in the work God has already done, and this scripture calls us to do the same.
As LGBTQ+ Christians and allies, we are very familiar with waiting and working toward a better future: waiting for and working toward equity, justice, representation, and even safety. While Advent calls us to continue our work preparing for and building God’s kin-dom, Gaudete Sunday reminds us we must also make space for joy. May we rejoice in our connections in this community. May we rejoice in the movement of the Spirit that calls LGBTQ+ Christians and allies to ministry and carves affirming spaces in the Church. May we rejoice from the depths of who we are!
Gaudete Sunday is marked by “rejoicing.” How does joy deepen our hope during Advent amid struggle or waiting?
Looking for a place to pray, study, and support each other this Advent season? Join a QCF Advent Community Group! Click the link below to learn more and sign up today.
