Pastor’s Corner – Dec 10

Pastor’s Corner – Dec 10

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

The Season of Advent – God Comes Among Us! Of the sacred seasons of the Church Year, Advent is the first, observed during the first four weeks of each new Church year and leading to the celebration of Christmas. Advent is a time of spiritual preparation for the coming of God into our world and our lives. Celebrating Advent focuses on themes of promise and fulfillment, darkness and light, hope and joy in anticipation of God’s presence with us.

Advent is celebrated not only by thanking God for Christ’s first coming as a baby, but also for his presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and in anticipation of his final coming at the end of time. The word “advent” comes from the Latin adventus meaning “arrival” or “coming,” particularly of something having great importance.

Advent began sometime after the 4th century as a time of preparation for Epiphany – not in anticipation of Christmas. Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ by remembering the visit of the magi and the Baptism of Jesus. At this time new Christians were baptized and received into the faith, and so the early church instituted a 40-day period of fasting and repentance.

Later, in the 6th century, St. Gregory the Great was the first to associate this season of Advent with the coming of Christ. Originally it was not the coming of the Christ-child that was anticipated, but rather, the Second Coming of Christ.

By the Middle Ages the church had extended the celebration of Advent to the familiar format we know today. The prophecies of Isaiah remind us to wait and prepare. By December 17th, the pace quickens and we focus more directly on the events leading up to Jesus’ birth.

Pope Francis reminds us that “Advent is a time of waiting for the Lord, who will not only visit us all on Christmas, but also, will visit each one of us in our own heart. The Lord is coming! Let us wait for him! Do not forget: the Lord comes, and if you feel a longing to improve, to be better, it is the Lord knocking at your door. This Christmas, the Lord is coming.”

As the four weeks of the Advent season proceed toward Christmas, we experience more and more that the risen Christ is drawing near to us in our hearts and in all the circumstances of our lives. And this growing awareness of his presence then begins to change everything for us, especially by arousing in us a growing sense of hope, a new feeling of joy and a greater desire to create peace by imitating Jesus’ example of mercy and loving service to others.

So as we ponder and pray over these Advent themes, let us use the words of Pope Francis, along with a suggested verse from Scripture, as our daily focus and guide to prepare our hearts to celebrate more fully God’s wonderful Christmas surprise of not only coming to dwell with us, but more astonishingly of becoming fully human as we are in Jesus, the human embodiment of all that God is for us. (All Saints Press)

God Bless, Fr. David