Shepherd's candle, Candle of Joy
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God.
~Isaiah 61:10
This third week of advent marks the halfway point in the season. The pink candle, different from all the other candles, symbolizes spontaneous joy that comes with Jesus' arrival.. It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced in the middle of the night when they encountered the angels announcing the birth of Christ.
It is rather astonishing that the shepherds were the first to get the announcement about Jesus' birth. They certainly were not the most important and powerful people of the land, not the wealthy, nor the religious leaders. The shepherds were a motley crew on the bottom of the social ladder. Since the sheep needed tending day and night, they camped and didn't get to bathe often. I imagine they were smelly and dirty, Shepherding was a rather dishonorable occupation in those days because they were not at home caring for their family. Some say they were considered thieves because they often grazed their flocks on others people's property.
I picture the shepherds sitting around the fire telling stories on an ordinary night. Perhaps one shepherd was chosen to lay at the gate of the corral where the sheep were herded to protect them from predators. The shelpherds weren't expecting anything spectacular to happen that night. In fact, the appearance of the angels were quite frightening! Why would angels come to lowly shepherds? But they believed and went to Bethlehem to see what they had heard.
While the shepherd long ago heard the Good News of the birth of Jesus, today we're not just talking about waiting for the baby to be born. We are welcoming the Christ (God made flesh) that is forever being incarnated in the human soul and into the world. The gifts of Advent and Christmas are forever coming into the world. Today we celebrate with the shepherds this Good News of the incarnation which is continuously gestating and blossoming in new forms. This is the Good News of great joy!
The great paradox of Advent
is that we await the coming
of the One Who is Among Us.
here already, profoundly pesent,
yet still coming, not done arriving.
Christ is not coming from a great distance,
inching closer to us from some far-off heaven,
but unfolding among us, within us.
We are pregnant with Christ,
who is here and yet who is coming,
whose presence is full and yet blossoming.
Jesus, silently gestating in us,
tender, innocent, dependent,
unknown, yet who loves us intimately
with infinite grace and wisdom.
Wait,
and give thanks,
and wait.
Song: Gaudete by Libera (Latin for "rejoice")
Reflection:
Who would receive the Good News first today? Who are the outcasts, the poor, and the lowly of today?
What brings you joy this season? What is blocking your joy?
Can you imagine yourself "pregnant with Christ"?
Resource:
Lewen, L. (Dec. 15, 2023) FreerangeFriday: Advent Invitations: We are invited to receive Joy
Rohr, R. (Dec. 17, 2023). Daily Meditations: Celebrating Incarnation.
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