ASK FATHER: Pastor Says “Gaudete Sunday, Is No More”

The ignorance (or malice!) of some Priests.

From Fr Z's Blog

This greeted me in my email today.

I pray that you are well. I am a permanent Deacon.  I began my homily today … making mention that today we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, or “Rejoice Sunday.” After Mass my pastor approached me and said the homily was fine, but, I had to make a change. I have to say that today is FORMERLY “Gaudete Sunday. He said, in his words, that, Gaudete Sunday, is no more. Now, all the research I do says that this is isn’t so. I will also mention that our Advent vestments are blue. Nothing much I can do about it.

That is true.  As pastor, Fr. Grinch has the right to be as ignorant and as obtuse as he wishes.

It is NOT true that “Gaudete Sunday ‘is no more'”.

First, the very first word of the Mass, the first word of the antiphon that the Church assigns for today’s Mass, is “Gaudete“.  It may be that the pastor is ignorant of this fact because, at that parish on Sundays, hymns or ditties are used instead of the Church’s true prayers.  The 3rd Sunday of Advent is still called Gaudete Sunday.

Some of our days have nicknames, that are not in the Missal.  I wonder.  Does the pastor also have it in for “Good Friday” and “Easter Sunday”?  How about “Christmas”?  Does he insist on calling it “Nativity of Our Lord”?

Next, Francis, not exactly a liturgical conservative, thinks that Gaudete Sunday is okay.  Last year he referred to it during his Sunday Angelus address.   HERE  Then again, even that term “Angelus”, being Latin, might not be known to the pastor.   Let’s just say that each Sunday Francis shows up at a high window over St. Peter Square, and he talks for a few minutes before saying prayers that people used to say all the time.

Also, our liturgical Ordo (ooops, another Latin word) says that during Advent we are not to have flowers on our altars or to use instrumental music except on this 3rd Sunday.  Why?  Because it is it is “Rejoice” Sunday, and, in parallel with the still existing Laetare Sunday in Lent, that’s what we Catholics do.

In addition, our Ordo also indicates that rose vestments can be used on this Sunday, as well as Laetare.  I wonder why.  By the way, Francis thinks Laetare still exists too.  HERE

As far as blue vestments are concerned, there is a possibility of using this color in some places for Marian feasts, but there is no possibility – at all – period – during Advent.

Anyway, I have commented at length about blue vestments during Advent in the past.  We even have a tune about it.  Perhaps the pastor could ask the choir to sing this next week.