There was a story of a man who was deeply devoted to St Joseph and when he died he was at the gates of heaven and being interviewed by St Peter. St Peter, after assessing the record of this man declined him entry to heaven straightaway, but the man argued that he was a St Joseph devotee.

We are getting into the spirit and the joy of Christmas. In fact, the third Sunday of Advent is called “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete means ‘Rejoice.’  St. Paul reminds us “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!! Let’s rejoice for the coming of our Redeemer, and we are called to share this joy with others, giving comfort and spreading hope.

“Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way.” This gospel passage reminds me of the road from Alice Springs to Santa Teresa, which is a remote Aboriginal community where I’m assigned at the moment.

As we head into the hectic time of year leading up to Christmas, the Church calendar gives us an opportunity to step back from all the busyness and take some time for prayer, reflection, and outreach.

Advent is a beautiful season of preparation for the great feast of the Nativity of our Lord and it is the perfect antidote to all the seasonal rushing, spending and partying.

Queen Salote Tupou III was outstanding in different ways. Over 2 metres tall, she was Queen of Tonga from 1918 until her death in 1965. Greatly loved and  honoured in Tonga, she was a world leader who gently commanded respect way beyond her island nation.

A Christmas quip goes: “Don’t get so preoccupied in what the world has to sell that you miss what God has to give”.

Dear brothers and sisters, in the second and the third Sunday of Advent, the gospel talks about John the Baptist two times in row, calling us to prepare our heart, to make a straight way for the Lord.

As we have moved into the second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to spend some time examining ourselves and preparing our hearts for the upcoming celebrations of our Saviour’s birth.

In Australia and New Zealand, we are  familiar with the presence of people on TV using sign language. When an important announcement is made, the speaker is accompanied by an interpreter who uses sign language to speak to the deaf audience.

The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of Joy. As we are moving closer to the feast of God becoming one among us, we are invited to live in joy.