Advent is now here, the annual Liturgical season where we focus on the Coming of the Lord - historically he came 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, and he will one day gloriously come again at the end of time. Both of these are part of the twofold Coming of Christ which is the essence of Advent.
In the lead up to Christmas with all the carols, advent calendars, nativity scenes, and gift buying we can easily fall into a form of indifferentism that forgets or fails to recognise the powerful cosmic significance of what the birth of Christ meant, and continues to mean. In the Office of Readings for today, there is a Pastoral Letter from St Charles Borromeo who beautifully encourages us to understand the importance of Advent it’s mystagogical value.
Advent is the Latin term for Coming, and this refers to the Coming of Christ. Christ is the Greek term for what the Bible falls the Messiah - the Anointed and Chosen one. The Messiah is a long awaited, deeply yearned and longed for, future coming leader of Israel and figure that is prophesied throughout the Old Testament. This figure is referred to as the “Branch of David” who will rule with righteousness and integrity, as we heard in the 1st Reading for the First Sunday of Advent (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Even more powerfully, the Messiah is referred to by the Prophet Haggai as the “Desire of the Nations” who will be directly connected to the Glory of the Lord filling the Temple (Haggai 2:1-9).
From the above, we can only imagine just how eagerly awaited and longed after was this prophesied Messiah - the Christ. As St Charles Borromeo reminds us, all the Patriarchs and Prophets all yearned and waited for the Coming of this Messiah. But it was the righteous Simeon who got to finally see and welcome the prophesied Christ into the Temple (Luke 2:25-28). Simeon on behalf of all Israel was able to receive, welcome and bless the arrival of the Desire of the Nations into the Temple of the Lord. Holding the infant Messiah in his arms and offering him to the Lord, Simeon joyfully declares the baby as the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel (Luke 22:29-32). He had waited his entire life for this wonderful moment, and in that very moment, all the Patriarchs and Prophets rejoiced together with him, as he the servant of the Lord sees the Salvation of the Lord revealed in the Temple and manifested in the flesh of the infant Jesus. This moment fulfilled the prophecy of Haggai about the Glory of the Lord filling the Temple, because the infant Jesus is himself the Glory of God, full of grace and truth (John 1:14-18) who now is manifested and fills the Temple. As the Only Son of the Father, he is the visible image of the invisible Father, and thus in his own flesh he reveals the Glory and face of the Father, for he is our salvation (John1:14, John 1:18, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:15, John 14:9-10, Luke 22:30)
The Coming of Christ both heralded and brought us into the Final Days of the Eschaton. The Final and Eternal Word of the Father who is the ultimate fulfilment of revelation that began with the Patriarchs and Prophets (Hebrews 1:1-3). The Son who is the Word of the Father, is the Word made Flesh (John 1:14) for our salvation in these latter days of the Lord. The End Times began with the Coming of the Lord, and will be fulfilled at the final Coming of the Lord in glory. The Mystery of the birth of the Messiah, is the moment of arrival that revealed the goodness and kindness of God made manifest (Titus 3:5).
Just as the Patriarchs and Prophets prepared Israel for the Coming of the Messiah, so too must we prepare ourselves to receive Christ in our heart. Our preparation to welcome and receive Christ is not just for his Final Coming at the End of Time - it is also to receive him now through faith at every moment we live, and especially tangible through the power he communicates to us through the Sacraments. His Coming is always available to us when we know where to look, and when we know how to welcome and receive him.
This Advent, may we truly learn to yearn and ache for the Coming of Christ, just as the Patriarchs and Prophets did. May we joyfully receive Christ like Simeon did, whenever we receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion so that we can learn how to “depart in peace” (Luke 2:29). The more we can recognise and appreciate the ways Christ still Comes to us everyday, then the better we can prepare and long for his Final Coming without fear or worry. We will not be taken unaware or distracted by the “cares of life” (Luke 31:34) as we heard in the Gospel on Sunday for Advent.
Instead, we should always and at all times call out from the depths of our heart “Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 2:22), so that the Desire of the Nations, will also become the deepest desire of your heart - the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer who came and who is to come. Let us learn to always call out to Jesus in faith and love, “Maranatha, Come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).
