Advent begins on the first day of December, and will conclude with the celebration of Christmas on Dec. 25, 2019. While Advent is the second shortest of all the liturgical seasons, lasting only four weeks, it’s an important season. It’s something similar to the reset button on a clock, because we start all over again. The First Sunday of Advent marks a new liturgical year which concludes at the end of the week following the Solemnity of Christ the King (i.e., Dec. 1, 2019-through Nov. 27, 2020). Thus, the First Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new cycle of feasts and seasons that we celebrate again, hopefully with renewed faith and a new love and deeper appreciation for Jesus and all that he has done for us through his life, death and resurrection.
While it would be nice if we could experience the weeks of Advent in prayerful and reflective ways, we realize that Advent takes place at one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year as we prepare for all the shopping, decorating and gift-exchanging aspects of our Christmas celebrations. But, this year, let’s try to make every effort to not allow Advent to come and go in a flash of frenzied activity. Instead let’s commit ourselves to stop, take a deep breath and find 10-15 minutes each day to pause for reflection.
As you probably know, “Advent” comes from two Latin words: ad, meaning “to”; and venire, meaning “to come.” Advent is about a special “coming” of the Lord into our lives. Therefore, Advent asks us to wait; Advent invites us to see Jesus as he came into the world on that “O Holy Night” of Christmas. Advent celebrates Jesus’ coming into the world after faith-filled people had been yearning for the coming of the Messiah for centuries. Jesus is the fulfillment of that Promise of Old; he is God’s Word of Love made flesh who has made his dwelling among us; Jesus is Emmanuel: God with us forever. Advent celebrates that, after 4,000 years of waiting, the world was finally able to see God in Baby Jesus.
But Advent also urges us to be prepared for the ultimate “coming to” the world, “the Second Coming,” when the Son of Man will come upon the clouds in glory at the end of all time. That’s why the Scripture readings we hear proclaimed on the first two Sundays of Advent have an ominous and an “end of time” tone to them. We need to be prepared to do what my own episcopal motto calls us all to do: “to wait in joyful hope” for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It’s certainly a challenge for us to live our busy lives in a spirit of waiting with so many demands on our time and energy. Yet, that is what we must do. We must fulfill all our responsibilities, but always with a “spiritual eye” focused on looking for Jesus’ final coming, whether that is at the end of all time or at the end of our human lives, whichever comes first. As Jesus reminds us: “We know not the day nor the hour, so ‘be prepared.’” (Mt.25:13) We must wait, so we can see God in Jesus, our Savior King.
In addition to that first amazing “coming to” the world, and the final “coming to” the end of the world, Jesus comes to us every day, and we are called to love him in whatever ways he “comes to” us. We are called to see Jesus in our love for all people; those who are our friends and neighbors; the poor and the needy and the outcast; and even those who mistreat us and who might see themselves as our enemies. That is why we must have a waiting heart, so that we can see Jesus in all the circumstances of our lives.
I pray that the upcoming “Year of the Eucharist” (see page 17) will help us all to see and love Jesus present to us in the sacraments, most especially in the Holy Eucharist, so that we can be strengthened and filled with zeal to go forth and put our faith into action as joyful disciples of Jesus.
So, I urge you all to wait and see Jesus present in all the ways he “comes to us” in our Advent and throughout this happy, new liturgical year!