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Advent in 2007 

By Father Philip Sandstrom

Kraainem (13 December 2007).- Advent is a period in the Church Year in which we see the Priest wear purple vestments. In this it is like Lent. However, it is not Lent but rather a period of anticipation – waiting on the Coming of the Lord. 
As we all know there are two Comings of the Lord Jesus into this world. 

The first Coming is the Incarnation which means that ‘he took flesh and dwelt amongst us’. That is, after the Virgin Mary answered with her ‘yes’ to the question of the Angel Gabriel, asking her if she, a virgin, would consent to bear the Son of God, Jesus, to term in her womb. She did that, and Jesus was born among us as a man. This coming having already taken place around 2000 years ago, we still enjoy each year the anticipation of his ‘official Birthday’ which we call Christmas. Our ancestors in the Faith called this Solemnity Christ-mass because it was the day of the celebration of the Mass Liturgy remembering and recalling the Incarnation of our Lord — how he was laid in a manger when he was born in David’s city of Bethlehem, and how the angels, the shepherds and the Magi came to see him for themselves. 

The second Coming is our hopeful expectation of Jesus’ “Coming back again” to finish his work as Messiah and Savior, arriving in glory on the ‘eschatological rainbow’ with the whole heavenly host around him. As the Son of God Jesus, whose name means “God saves”, comes to ‘judge the living and the dead’ – as we remind ourselves in the Creed. So the time of Advent is really a period of anticipation and preparation for ourselves to ‘get back to where we started at Baptism and Confirmation’ in order to meet the Risen Lord when he comes again. 

The word ‘Advent’ comes from the Latin “adventus” which has the same meaning as the Greek word “parousia” – and they both refer to the Epiphany, the Revelation of God’s Presence among us (here think of the arrival of the Magi we celebrate on 6th January). 

The first two weeks of Advent Season emphasize the Second Coming of the Lord with many references to the Last Judgement and the End of the World, taken from both the New Testament and the Old, especially from the Prophets Daniel and Isaiah. 

The last days of Advent from 16th December to 24th December turn our minds and hearts, using again Old Testament references and the beginnings of the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, to the preparations for, and the event of, the birth of Jesus. The familiar hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” in each of its successive verses takes up the themes of these days before Christmas itself. 

So we are all anticipating and awaiting the Coming of the Lord into our lives, hoping that he makes a good home within us – fulfilling his promise of Eternal Life for his adopted Brothers and Sisters. Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! 

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