The Catholic Church all over the world began the Season of Advent this year on 27 November. Normally Advent begins with the Sunday closest to November 30. Even as the season of Advent just started, there is a romantic image of Christmas permeating all over, with decorations and illuminations. The business establishments are all gearing up for a heavy season of sale. Roads and byways are all being kept tidy. However, beyond all these external preparations, Advent reminds the Christians that there is more lasting and noble things this season offers us.
Advent is a time of preparation both for recalling Christ’s incarnation at Christmas and for awaiting the future hope of Christ’s second coming at the end of time. It is a time of Joyful anticipation, waiting, longing, and expectation.
This liturgical year or cycle in the Catholic Church is made up of six seasons: Advent - four weeks of preparation before the celebration of Jesus’ birth; Christmas Time - recalling the Nativity of Jesus Christ and his manifestation to the peoples of the world ; Lent - a six-week period of penance before Easter; Sacred Paschal Triduum - the holiest “Three Days” of the Church’s year, where the Christian people recall the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus; Easter Time - 50 days of joyful celebration of the Lord’s resurrection from the dead and his sending forth of the Holy Spirit; Ordinary Time - divided into two sections (one span of 4-8 weeks after Christmas Time and another lasting about six months after Easter Time), wherein the faithful consider the fullness of Jesus’ teachings and works among his people. During these six seasons, the mystery of Christ is being unfolded and the members of the Church are given opportunity to reflect on different aspects of the mystery of Christ.
Advent is associated with a call to repentance, echoing the character of John the Baptist and his constant call to repent. The origin of Advent dates to the fifth century. During the season of advent the Church uses purple vestments as reminder of this repentance. The Church also abstains from singing the joyful Gloria in anticipation of Christmas and in the service of repentance.
While repentance is a focus, Advent’s character is nonetheless different than that of lent. Advent retains an undercurrent of joy. Each Advent is the inauguration of a new Church year, the liturgical year. Advent prepares the Christians for the incarnation of Jesus at Christmas, for the coming of the Saviour. The prophets during the Advent challenge every Christian to wait for the Lord to come, but remind them not to sit back and do nothing as they wait. They call them to do acts of justice, to care for the poor and oppressed.
Second Advent theme is Universal call to Justice. During the Advent while prophets challenge the people to repent and change their lives, it also calls each Christian to work for peace and Justice. God called people then, and he calls us today to search out evil and work to rid the world of it. The prophets foretold that the light would come to shine in the midst of darkness. That light would be Christ. Through the brilliance of his light we, too, are to light the way for others. Only Christ the light can dispel the darkness which engulfs us.
A third theme that would come strongly during advent is ‘Now and Not Yet’. Advent considers two realities: the reign of God now and the reign of God yet to come. We live in the midst of the tension of both worlds. We cooperated with the work of changing history. We engage in human history to cooperate with God’s ongoing works of redemption in the world. We struggle with the world that as we await in anticipation of the world to come.
Therefore, even through consumerism preoccupies the culture of our time; this holy season is a wakeup call to the world. Advent is a counter-culture plea to engage in the deeper meaning of the season. This season invites us to reflect upon and prepare for the second coming of Christ, while looking forward to the celebration of incarnation, the ultimate gift of God’s self to the world. We can do nothing less than ask ourselves the questions of human response and responsibility in the face of such gratuitous gifts.
St. Bernard summed up the meaning of advent when he suggested that we celebrate three coming of the Lord during advent. Two are visible, and one is invisible. The first coming was the coming of Christ in history, the incarnation of Christ taking human flesh in order to save the world. The third and final coming will take place at the consummation of the world. The in-between coming is hidden. It is the coming of Christ in the hearts of disciples, the everyday Advent of Christ in the hearts of believers.
There are four Sundays of Advent. The first and second Sunday of Advent focus on the future coming of Christ. The third Sunday of Advent focuses on Christ who is present in our everyday lives. The fourth Sunday centres its attention on the birth of Jesus, the past coming. Therefore, so called celebrations, such as pre-Christmas, advent Christmas all against the spirit of the season and should be considered as aberrations and discouraged out rightly.
Therefore, as we journey through the season of advent and wait for Christmas, one way to focus away from transitory and fleeing things is by responding to the Isaiah’s call to work for peace and justice. Some ways to do that are; by participating in all efforts to provide for needy families, by praying more earnestly each day throughout the season, by keeping focus on the reason for the season, the incarnation of Jesus Christ – God taking human form and entering human history to save us. Blessed and fruitful Season of Advent and Christmas.
