Psalm Reflection: The Third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete Sunday” - Cycle A

“Lord, come and save us.” - Psalms 146

When I was in my twenties I reconnected with my father’s side of the family who I had not seen in twenty years. I had been only three years old when I had last seen them in person, so I was essentially meeting my grandfather, aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time. While I was there my cousin got engaged and I was able to go back the following year for his wedding.

Now, I love weddings. If I could be a professional wedding guest for a living I would do it. My cousin's wedding was a blast, but it ended pretty early for me and my cousin Curtis. We happened to notice that the hotel venue was also hosting two other wedding receptions that evening in other ballrooms, so we got the bright idea to try and crash one and keep the festivities going.

We approached the front doors to the largest ballroom in the hotel, opened them and walked in as naturally as possible. The doors closed behind us and with one look around the room we knew we made a mistake. We walked into a traditional Indian wedding reception of over 500 people, and we were the only two white people in the entire room, and every eye was immediately on us. Not only that, it seemed to be a very high profile wedding, as men in black suits with earpieces rushed immediately toward us to escort us out.

There was no expectation of us being welcomed because we were not invited.

God is not out to crash your life. He is a perfect gentleman and He will not force Himself on you, nor will He kick His way in where He is not invited.

If you have ever felt distant from God, like He is not present or answering your prayers, ask yourself: 

Have I truly given God permission to enter my life? 

Have I invited Him in completely? Or am I holding back? 

Am I only inviting Him into small corners of my life and trying to control what He can and cannot have?

God does not want a piece of us, just like a spouse does not want to marry someone who will only be committed to them one day a week. God wants us to give Him our entire heart. How do we do that?

We can start by praying the simple, but powerful words of the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday: “Lord, come and save us.” That is who God is, a Savior. He wants to come into your life and rescue you from the things that cause you to sin and will lead to destruction. 

He will not go where He is not invited. He will charge into the house that is on fire, but if you have locked yourself in a room and handcuffed yourself to the furniture, He will not be able to save you from the flames. God gave us free will in the hopes that we will choose Him and experience everlasting joy and freedom. However, He respects our freedom to choose otherwise.

We often choose to try and save ourselves by pursuing what we think will make us happy or what will provide the answers we are looking for. We can get caught up in politics, relationships, career, wealth, new age spirituality, drugs, alcohol, achievement… the list goes on and on. None of these can ever satisfy the deepest desires and longings of our hearts. We need only to cry out to God, “Lord, come and save us,” and hold nothing back from Him.

Invite Him in and let Him save you.

What fears or reservations might be holding you back from giving God complete access to your life?

How do you perceive God's role as a Savior in your life? In what ways have you experienced His saving grace?

Where do you seek fulfillment outside of God? How can you redirect your desires towards a deeper relationship with Him?

How can the simple prayer, "Lord, come and save us," become a regular part of your spiritual practice? What does surrendering to God look like in your daily life?

I am praying for you. Please pray for me and my family, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, December 14th, 2025, the Third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete Sunday” - Cycle A: Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10.