Pretty in Pink

It's that one time of year where the church puts on her best and brightest pink pizazz!

Honestly growing up I LOVED "pink" Sunday for three reasons:

1. Christmas was soo close you could taste it! (or better see it--I love being catholic!)

2. I could freely share and promote my disgust for the color pink.

3. It was the one Sunday I could lovingly tease my pastor for sporting a "manly" pink.

Seriously, it is tradition to this day in my family to talk about in the car on the way to mass how we were going to break it to Father that he was wearing pink... And he loved the attention. Every year Padre would grin and say in his accent right out of Spain "it's Rrrose."

I guess, looking back now, it was kinda bonding. He hated pink. I hated pink. He loved the third sunday of Advent. I loved the third sunday of Advent.

In college I discovered the church's great word for this week of Advent. "Gaudete."

Personal Translation: week that's " a little gaudy." And the third week of Advent rightly is a gaudy pink! The joy of the coming of the Incarnation should be at a melting point. The church can't hold it in any longer. Like Buddy in the film "Elf" she cries out in public " I'm in love! I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!"

If you haven't seen Elf it looks something like this:

Here  and particularly Here

The church bursts with joy and blushes pink because Christ the redeemer of us all draws in close.

So growing in grace and wisdom, pink has grown on me a bit. Especially as a color of great joy. The real Latin translation of "Gaudete" is "Rejoice!" Today, Saint Paul calls for a two fold call to joy.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Phillipians 4:4

So, if you haven't already let your Parish Priest know how great he looked in Pink this Gaudete Sunday. You should. Really. He is a visible sign of Church's overflowing joy in the Birth of her Savior.

 

On a different note...

Father had a great reflection in His Homily today in the wake of Friday's tragedy:

Joy is not the absence of grief or pain or tears in the wake of Sandy Hook. The beatitudes teach us, "blessed (or Happy in some translations) are those who grieve".

We should learn to be good grievers...Because even in the midst of sorrow we should rejoice so that we can allow Christ's peace to fill up our hearts and minds. It is our faith in Christ's goodness that we can know with great certainty that in Heaven every tear will be wiped away and every moment of sadness will be turned to great joy.

~Postulant Carly