My sunshine, my grasshoppers of the Lord! Today is the happiest day of Advent. It’s called Gaudete Sunday, which in Latin means “Rejoice!” That’s why the candle is pink, like a sunrise announcing that the night is almost over.

Even the priest wears a pink chasuble at the Mass. Everything screams: It’s almost here!

The most beautiful story this Sunday is the Visitation. Mary, having just learned that she will be the Mother of God, doesn’t stay home thinking about herself: she runs through the mountains to help her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant and older. When Mary greets her, little John inside Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy! Elizabeth exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” And Mary sings the Magnificat, the most joyful song in the entire Bible:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

Since then, we know that Christian joy is not noise or things: it is having Jesus inside and bringing him to others.

At home today, we do three things:

1. We light the pink candle and sing many Christmas carols (even though it’s not Christmas yet, today it’s allowed).
2. We make sweets to give away: doughnuts, shortbread, almond cookies… while we knead them we pray for the people who are going to receive them.
3. We take out the figure of Mary pregnant and put it in a special place: she is the main protagonist of this Sunday.

Today’s pink prayer:

“Lord, You who made little John leap for joy before he was born, come also to us. Make our hearts leap with happiness. Let nothing and no one take away our smiles, because You are coming. Amen.”

Smile a lot today, my children! The joy of the Lord is our strength.