Gaudete Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, December 13. Its name comes from the first word of the entrance antiphon of the Mass, Gaudete in Domino semper, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Halfway through Advent, the Church pauses to rejoice because the Lord is near. Priests may wear rose vestments, and families light the rose candle on the Advent wreath.
Below you will find what Gaudete Sunday means, why the color is rose, the readings for 2026, prayers for the day, Prayers of the Faithful for Mass, and simple ways to celebrate at home.
Gaudete Sunday at a glance
| Date in 2026 | Sunday, December 13, 2026 |
| Liturgical day | Third Sunday of Advent, Year B |
| Name | From the Latin entrance antiphon Gaudete, “Rejoice” |
| Color | Rose (or violet) |
| Advent wreath | Light the third candle, the rose one |
| Next year | Sunday, December 12, 2027 |
What does Gaudete mean?
Gaudete is Latin for “Rejoice!” (a plural command: “Rejoice, all of you”). The entrance antiphon of the Mass is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.
Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.
Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Advent is a season of waiting and preparation, but it is a joyful waiting. On Gaudete Sunday the Church turns our attention from penance to the joy of the coming of Christ: he came at Bethlehem, he comes to us now in grace, and he will come again in glory.
Why rose vestments and a rose candle?
Rose is a lightened violet. Violet is the color of Advent’s waiting and repentance; on this Sunday the violet is “brightened” by joy because Christmas is close. The Church allows rose vestments on only two days of the year: Gaudete Sunday in Advent and Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 7, 2027), whose name also means “Rejoice.”
On the Advent wreath, the third candle is rose. Families light it on Gaudete Sunday together with the first two violet candles. Learn more about the Advent candles and their meaning.
The readings for Gaudete Sunday 2026 (Year B)
The Sunday readings follow a three-year cycle, and Advent 2026 begins Year B. The readings for December 13, 2026, are:
| Reading | Passage | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| First reading | Isaiah 61:1–2a, 10–11 | “The spirit of the Lord is upon me… to preach to the meek” |
| Responsorial psalm | Luke 1:46–50, 53–54 (the Magnificat) | “My soul rejoices in my God” |
| Second reading | 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 | “Rejoice always” |
| Gospel | John 1:6–8, 19–28 | John the Baptist, “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” |
The first reading opens with the words Jesus later read in the synagogue at Nazareth:
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all that mourn:
St. Paul’s command in the second reading gives the day its joy:
Always rejoice.
Pray without ceasing.
In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.
Extinguish not the spirit.
Despise not prophecies.
But prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves.
And may the God of peace himself sanctify you in all things; that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is faithful who hath called you, who also will do it.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist points away from himself to the one who is coming:
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou?
And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.
And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No.
They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?
He said: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.
Prayers for Gaudete Sunday
A prayer for Gaudete Sunday, written for this page:
Lord Jesus, you are near.
On this Gaudete Sunday fill our hearts with your joy,
the joy that no trouble can take away.
Like John the Baptist, let us prepare your way
and point others toward you, the true light.
Make our homes ready for Christmas
and our hearts ready for your coming. Amen.
A prayer for lighting the rose candle, written for this page:
Lord God, as we light the third candle of our Advent wreath,
we rejoice that the coming of your Son is near.
Let the light of this candle remind us of the joy he brings,
and let us share that joy with the poor, the lonely and the sad.
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
For the prayers of every Sunday of Advent, see our Advent wreath prayers.
Prayers of the Faithful for Gaudete Sunday
For Mass on December 13, 2026, or a family prayer. Response after each petition: Lord, hear our prayer.
- For the Church, that she may be a sign of joy in the world, pointing to Christ as John the Baptist did, we pray to the Lord.
- For the Pope, our bishops and all who preach the Gospel, that like John they may prepare the way of the Lord, we pray to the Lord.
- For leaders of nations, that they may bring good news to the poor and freedom to captives, we pray to the Lord.
- For all who find it hard to rejoice this Advent: the grieving, the sick, the lonely and the poor, that they may feel the nearness of God, we pray to the Lord.
- For our parish and our families, that we may rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances, we pray to the Lord.
- For our beloved dead, that they may share the everlasting joy of the kingdom, we pray to the Lord.
See how to write prayers of the faithful and the full prayers of the faithful collection.
How to celebrate Gaudete Sunday at home
- Light the rose candle at dinner and pray one of the prayers above.
- Do something joyful together: bake Christmas cookies, decorate, or sing an Advent hymn.
- Go to confession in the last ten days before Christmas. Many parishes hold Advent penance services after Gaudete Sunday. See how to go to confession.
- Bring joy to someone in need: visit a nursing home, give to a food drive, or call someone who is alone.
- Sing the carol Gaudete. The sixteenth-century Latin carol Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus (“Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born”) is a favorite of choirs this time of year.
- Begin the O Antiphons. From December 17 the Church sings the great O Antiphons, the final countdown to Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
When is Gaudete Sunday in 2026?
Sunday, December 13, 2026, the Third Sunday of Advent. In 2027 it is December 12.
Why is the third Advent candle pink?
The candle is rose, the color of joy breaking through the violet of waiting. It matches the rose vestments the priest may wear on Gaudete Sunday.
Is rose the same as pink?
Liturgically the color is called rose: a soft, muted pink, a lightened violet. Many people simply call it pink.
What is the difference between Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday?
Both are “rejoice” Sundays in the middle of a penitential season and both may use rose vestments. Gaudete is the Third Sunday of Advent; Laetare is the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
Is Gaudete Sunday a holy day of obligation?
Every Sunday is a day of obligation, so Catholics attend Mass on Gaudete Sunday as on any Sunday. See holy days of obligation.
More Advent pages
- The Jesse Tree
- Advent 2026: dates, meaning and prayers
- The Advent candles and their meaning
- Advent wreath prayers
- The O Antiphons
- The St. Andrew Christmas Novena
- Catholic Christmas prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Philippians 4:4–7; Isaias 61:1–2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; John 1:19–23, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain. Reading references follow the Lectionary for Mass, Third Sunday of Advent, Year B.
- Rose vestments: General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 346 f.
- The prayers and the Prayers of the Faithful were written for this page.