The Third Week of Advent: Joy That Breaks Through
By the time we reach the Third Week of Advent, the season has settled around us like a soft cloak. The days may feel darker and shorter, but suddenly—there it is. A burst of rose-colored light.
The Shepherd’s Candle, the only pink candle on the wreath, stands for joy. Not surface-level cheer. Not the fragile joy that depends on circumstances staying tidy. This is God’s joy—deep, steady, luminous.
It’s the joy that startled shepherds on an ordinary night as heaven broke open above them.
It’s the joy that whispers into our ordinary nights too: “Fear not. I bring you good news of great joy.”
A joy big enough for all people, yet personal enough to rest right in the center of your own life.
Joy That Finds Us Where We Are
Joy can feel slippery. It doesn’t always rise up on command. But Advent teaches us something beautiful: joy is not something we manufacture; it is something we receive.
Joy found the shepherds while they were working the night shift. Joy found Mary in the quiet of her yes. Joy found Joseph in the humility of obedience.
And joy will find us, too.
Even if this year feels heavy.
Even if loss sits beside you like a familiar companion.
Even if happiness has felt out of reach.
God’s joy is not loud, but it is persistent. It meets us in the cracks of our days and reminds us that Christ is coming—and already here.
Practicing Joy This Week
Joy grows when we notice the small things God has tucked into our days: the kindness of a friend, the quiet of early morning, the promise that God is still writing our stories.
This week, practice looking for joy the way the shepherds looked toward the sky—wide-eyed, expectant, willing to be surprised.
God’s joy is not delicate. It is a gift strong enough to lift weary hearts and brighten shadowed places.
A Prayer for the Third Week of Advent
Lord, stir in us a joy that rises from Your presence alone. Open our eyes to the gifts You scatter in our days, and help us carry Your light with gratitude and wonder. Amen.