Source: http://anglatak.blogspot.com/2016/12/joyful-expectation-3rd-sunday-of-advent.html

Collect:

O God, who see how your people
faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity,
enable us, we pray,
to attain the joys of so great a salvation
and to celebrate them always
with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Reflection:

This collect was part of the compilation  of prayers in the fifth to sixth century in Ravenna for the Advent / Christmas cycle. It was rediscovered in the nineteenth century until it was restored to the missal in the work of Vatican Council II.

It recalls our waiting for the celebration of birth of the Savoir. We are still waiting on this Third Sunday. But for what? This prayer reminds us that we are not awaiting the birth of Christ that has already happened. We are, however, awaiting the coming feast day – the annual celebration of salvation given by Jesus Christ. With every baby, we see and hope for great things to come. In waiting for the feast day of the Messiah,who is God-with-us, we look to the salvation already won for us. His birth leads to salvation; and to new and everlasting life. So too for us: birth to death; then death to new life.

Today we are in the Gaudete Sunday means rejoicing because we are already near in our waiting. It is not individual joy but a communitarian rejoicing. Let us rejoice because the meaning of our life is already near. Let us stay positive in spite of many trials, difficulties and persecutions. Let us remember this, “Every bad situation will have something positive. Because even a dead clock shows correct time twice a day. Stay positive in life! “It is true, if we really think and live the gospel values we will be in the positive aspect of life. It is our decision always to choose what is good for us if we really allow God at work in our life. We must be like John the Baptist to depend always in Jesus Christ the ultimate meaning of our life and to posses the virtue of being patience in waiting as we hope for the coming of the Messiah.