Giving in the Holy Land
Gaudete Sunday provides a break in a season of waiting, showing the nearness of the Lord’s coming. This day for the third Sunday of Advent takes its name from the scriptures and the Latin word Gaudete (“Rejoice”), the first word of the ancient opening song from 476 CE.
The spirit of the liturgy throughout Advent is one of reflection and preparation for the coming of Christ. Call it pink — or, more fittingly, rose — a traditional color on this Gaudete Sunday shows a glimpse of the joy that awaits us. The penitential nature in Advent is somewhat suspended on Gaudete Sunday, as it were, to emphasize the gladness in the promised coming of the Holy One.
As we live in joy in this season, we are also called into the full reality of our world. Today, many places and families experience conflict and violence. And this year, people in Gaza and the West Bank live this most dramatically. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us pray and work for justice and lasting peace in the land of the nativity.
We invite you to live in solidarity with the people in the Holy Land to put your prayers for peace into action through giving directly to Lutheran World Federation. Ways to donate are at this link: Jerusalem | The Lutheran World Federation
Visit this link for more information and resources: Resources for the Crisis in the Holy Land – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org)
“Joy to the world…let earth receive her king.”photo: HOPE, a painting by Palestinian artist, Sliman Mansour, used as a guided meditation during the tIme of prayer during Advent worship at FELC.