Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of Christ the king which also marked the end of the liturgical year. Today we begin a new liturgical year in the life of the Church, Cycle A Year II with the first Sunday of advent.
Advent comes from the latin “Ad-venir” which means “to come to’. The season of advent affords us the special opportunity to prepare ourselves for the coming of our savior Jesus Christ. In the four Sundays of advent we are called to repent and prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus both in Mystery, history and second coming.
Like the dawn from on high the son of justice, the son of God , visited us over two thousand years ago in the mystery of the incarnation, and so as we look forward to the anniversary of his birth, it is worthwhile that we prepare our lives but also prepare in anticipation when he will come again in glory.
Many of us prepare for the birth of Jesus in different ways, some prepare for Christmas holiday trips, and others do a lot of shopping, while others prepare to visit with loved ones and friends. No doubt these will make Christmas a remarkably different and special day. But if our preparations remain at this level alone then Christmas becomes a mere holiday and not a commemoration of the birth of the savior of the world. Hence the Church sets out these four Sundays of advent to guide us to prayerfully prepare ourselves with penitence so that we can be spiritually disposed to His birth, this time not in a filthy manger or a dirty and messed up stable, but in our hearts that have been made pure. So then as we make our other preparations, it is good to be aware that the most important preparation is the spiritual preparation because it is Jesus who is “the reason for the season”.
Among other preparations in our parish, we shall also be lighting the advent wreath, denoting the fact that the light of Christ will enlighten our hearts to search and to be able to make “straight his paths, to fill every valley, to make low every mountain and hill and make straight every winding road” in our lives (cf. Lk.3:4-6). This light typifies the light that dawned on those who sat in the darkness of Isaiah’s prophecy and will break-forth on us at Christmas when we will sing with the angels, “Joy to the world the Lord has come”.
The dominant personage of advent, John the Baptist, has just a simple message for us -“Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” and when Jesus came he declared that the
Kingdom of God is in your midst”. May God help us as we prepare for the birth of his son in history and mystery.
We were to have the ceremony of acceptance on the first Sunday of advent but it has been moved to the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord. On this first Sunday, a CCD family will help us to light the advent candle at the 5pm mass.
We wish you the best of preparation in this special season. Peace be with you.
Fr. Theo Hwande
