Rejoice Always! Be Joyful! Baby Jesus is Coming! Will You Accept Jesus into Your Heart and Life?

 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

I love this reading above from church this week!  I especially love the words: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." This is what I want daily for myself and the world, to stay in peace and be prayerful and thankful always. What great words to be joyful in! A real blessing!

                            

This is Gaudete Sunday which is the third Sunday of Advent in many Western Churches, including the Roman Catholic Churches, the Anglican Community, Lutheran Churches, and other mainline Protestant churches. This week the church lights the third candle which is pink or rose colored and it represents joy or rejoicing and reveals a shift in the season of Advent away from repentance and toward celebration of the coming of baby Jesus. The third Advent candle color on the wreath is pink. It is named the shepherd candle or candle of joy. The priest uses a pink cloak for this mass as well.