what is advent
Advent is the time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. It begins four Sundays before Christmas Day and marks the beginning of the liturgical year.
The term “Advent” comes from the Latin “adventus”, whose meaning is coming or arrival. Advent is being attentive to the Lord who is coming. It is not simply a moment of the Liturgical Year. It is a time of hope! “Stay awake and vigilant!”
It is not a threat. It is an exhortation. It is an attitude that encompasses and illuminates the whole life of the Christian. It is a look at Jesus who came in history to teach us to live humanly and divinely. That comes in each poor and needy and will come at the end of time as He promised us.
Everyone knows what their “excesses” are. It is time to “wake up” from our apathy, our indolence, and it is necessary to fight more decisively and uproot everything that may displease the Lord who comes.
Year after year, as Advent arrives, we hear that it is a time of change and preparation. But does “something” change in our lives?
This is the challenge of those of us who “intend” to prepare the way of the Lord: Change our hearts, change our mentality. This attitude is called, in religious parlance, conversion.
The Christian’s way will be to imitate Jesus by seeing all that we can do so that the discouraged and downtrodden receive new hope… beginning with ourselves.
The hope and joy of a God who never tires of telling us: “Be strong, do not fear! I myself have come to save you.”
Far from giving in to sadness and pessimism, always rejoice in the Lord, because Jesus comes to seek and save what was lost.
Sometimes it seems that, hearing and repeating that Jesus is God made man, we have become accustomed to words and do not appreciate the importance of what they mean.
Let us prepare our whole being to celebrate this GREAT MYSTERY: God who becomes a man similar to us, except in sin.
On this journey to meet the Lord, it is an excellent opportunity to show Jesus that we are vigilant, attentive, active… and with our hearts occupied in loving everyone, especially those most in need.
Say YES to the Lord, who is coming to purify us and make us live the authentic joy of Christmas.
God bless you!
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