Today is the First Sunday of Advent. As we enter into the Liturgical Season of Advent, we can easily lose sight of what the Church teaches us during this time - because it is so overshadowed by the celebration of commercialism in the world as well as other Christians celebrating Christmas early.
But what is Advent and why do we even have it? The Liturgical year is based on the premise that each year we are formed liturgically to live and experience the Paschal Mystery. Each of us is called to live the Life of Christ in our own life as we conform ourselves to Him. So the two hinges of this are Advebt and Lent - because they prepare us for the Birth of Christ in the flesh, and for His death and resurrection.
So Advent is so much more than a kitsch sentimental time filled with decorations and food and Christmas carols. The reality we are entering into as we celebrate it is a stark sober reminder for us Catholics to stay awake! Be vigilant! Be prepared for the Coming of Jesus. This is what the Sunday Gospels the last few weeks were preparing us for, and what the Gospel for today instructs us “what I say to you I say to all: stay awake!” (Mark 13:37).
Why are we told to stay awake by Jesus? Why is Advent focused on the Judgment Day of Christ and His Second Return? Aren’t we supposed to be enjoying family time together and singing carols and preparing nativity scenes? The answer is yes to both. Yes to the questions, and yes to Jesus command to stay awake, alert, and vigilant. Ultimately it is about saying YES to Jesus Himself.
St Cyril of Jerusalem beautifully highlights and explains to us what the meaning of Advent is. Advent is the remembrance of the Coming of Christ. But it is not just about the Coming of Christ in the past as a one time event, we also prepare for the future Coming of Christ in glory. This is what Advent teaches us about, instructs us and forms us. This is why we are given the liturgical season of Advent. It is the counterpart of the season of Lent. The mystery we are preparing to celebrate annually is too important to only be done in one day. It requires preparation, a period of formation and instruction that allows us to to savour, to taste and to appreciate what we are going to celebrate. The annual celebrations of Christmas and Easter are not just events of the past, they are realities that we Christians are called to live on our own lives everyday.
The Coming of Christ is what we all pray for every day in the Lord’s Prayer - Adveniat regnum tuum “thy Kingdom come”. You can see the Latin word Adveniat is where we get our word for Advent - the Coming.
The Coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, born in Bethlehem as a helpless little child. This mystery requires time to ponder and meditate on to truly appreciate it with the awe it deserves. Like Our Lady, we should keep and meditate on all these things in our heart (Luke 2:19), treasuring them and pondering them. If we do not do this, we can easily forget what Advent is all about. We can become sleepy and intoxicated by all the noise around us that we lose the ability to remain sober, awake and vigilant as commanded by Jesus (Mark 13:37). If we are not vigilant and prepared, then we risk missing Him just like the foolish virgins did in the parable from the Sunday Gospel as few weeks ago (Matthew 25:1-13).
Let us then always be prepared for the Coming of Jesus. We are warned multiple times in scripture that the Day of the Lord will come like a “thief in the night” - when we least expect it. That is why we must always be ready and prepared. That is what Advent reminds us to do, to prepare for His Coming so that we are awake and vigilant. When we are spiritually awake, we are then able to see the presence of Christ. We can behold Him with wonder as the little child in the manger at Bethlehem. We can behold him with wonder as the Bread of Life for us and the world in the Eucharist, never abandoning us but always with us. We can behold Him with wonder and awe when He returns in glory with all the angels as the King and Judge of the world.
This gift of vigilance, being alert and awake is what is called by St Paul as the spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 1:6-7). In monastic literature this has a special term in Greek, called Nepsis. May we be reawakened this Advent so we can be alert to the Presence of Christ in our lives. At the moment His Presence is hidden, but when He returns in glory then it will all be revealed and manifested to us. This manifestation of God, this revelation and theophany is what we hear in the first reading today from Isaiah (Isaiah 64:1-4). This same Presence is what became flesh for us as a helpless little child, and who will return in all His powerful awe inspiring glory in his Coming at the end of time.
May we be awake when He comes (Mark 13:35-36) so that we can look upon Him with joy and greet him with thanksgiving, as He gathers is into His Kingdom. This is what the Liturgy of Advent refers to in the Collect for today
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever
