Gaudete Sunday 2015
The “O” Antiphons are sung every day from December 17th to the feast of the Nativity. Antiphons are citations from Holy Scripture or prayers created by the Church that demonstrate the theme of the day, recited before and after the Psalms of the Divine Office. The “O” Antiphons are very ancient petitions to God the Son in preparation for the end of time. These prayers refer to the Son of God as “Wisdom,” “Adonai,” “Root of Jesse,” and other titles full of meaning. We should pray these antiphons to help us prepare for the real purpose of Christmas.

The liturgical color of rose is a combination of the violet color representing penance and the white representing joy. Penance is found in the hatred of sins and the intention never to commit them again. Mortification is related to penance but refers to acts which put our evil inclinations to death. Through mortification we deny ourselves even those things which are permissible, in order to strengthen us on the road to sanctity. The joy of this day comes from our proximity to the great feast of Christmas, in which we have a foretaste of the everlasting joys of Heaven.
#20151213