“It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11)
 
As we come to the third week of Advent, often called Gaudete Sunday, this verse from Romans takes on a particularly joyful chord. The Church teaches that Christian joy flows from the nearness of the Lord. It is not rooted in fleeting feelings but in the deep awareness that Christ is with us and is coming again. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the joy of the Christian is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1832) and an essential mark of the life of grace. Paul’s exhortation to “awake from sleep” is more than a personal nudge; it is a call to the whole Church to live in the radiant joy of salvation that is both already present and still unfolding.

The Church has often returned to this verse to teach the faithful about the urgency and joy of evangelization. In Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI wrote that the Church exists to evangelize, to awaken the hearts of all people to the Good News of Jesus Christ. He emphasized that joy is one of the clearest signs of a heart truly touched by the Gospel. Pope Francis echoed this in Evangelii Gaudium, reminding us that “joy adapts and changes, but it always endures” (EG 6), and that “an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” (EG 10). The call to “awake from sleep” is not only a personal call to repentance, but also a communal call to live our faith with conviction, authenticity, and radiant joy in a weary world. The world needs our witness now more than ever.

This Sunday’s rose-colored candle and vestments reflect this shift. The color rose symbolizes joy amidst penance, a joyful pause in the Advent journey. The third candle, traditionally called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” recalls the humble ones who first heard the angelic proclamation: “I bring you good news of great joy.” This joy is not naive; it is forged in waiting, longing, and faith. It grows brighter as we approach the threshold of Christmas.

On December 17, we enter the final stretch of Advent with the “O Antiphons,” sung during Vespers and used in the Gospel acclamations at Mass. These ancient prayers, each beginning with “O” and a Messianic title—O Wisdom, O Root of Jesse, O Key of David—build spiritual anticipation for Christ’s coming. They are like liturgical bells ringing in our hearts, stirring joy and readiness. Traditionally, this is when homes and churches begin to be decorated more festively, signaling that the hour is indeed near. The solemn quiet of early Advent gives way to a confident and joyful preparation.

In the light of Church teaching and this sacred season, Romans 13:11 becomes not just a verse to ponder but a summons to act. Awake from the spiritual slumber of routine or distraction. Let your heart be pierced anew by the joy of salvation. Open your life to the Gospel with the readiness of John the Baptist and the wonder of the shepherds. As we trim trees and light candles, let us also rekindle our interior fire- our faith, our joy, our mission. This is the hour. Christ is near. Let us rejoice, believe, and prepare the way.