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The Holy Season of Advent - begins 30th November

We often miss Advent's richness, beauty and mystery because December is full of Christmas parties and preparations. The Christmas rush and merry-go-round distracts us from having an Advent that prepares us for the celebration of Christmas.

The Three Comings of Jesus One way of really enriching our Advent journey is to keep in mind the three comings of Jesus, and how they relate to one another.

  1. Jesus was born into our history at a fixed point in time in Bethlehem.
  2. Jesus comes to us now, in a whole variety of ways; most especially in Word and Sacrament.
  3. Jesus promised that he will come again in glory, at the end of time. This is what gives certainty to the Christian virtue of Hope.

Thus in Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus while awaiting the Lord's return at the end of time by meditating on the Word made flesh and revealed to us in the mission and ministry of Jesus.
A Service of Blessing for the Advent Wreath
Advent Part 1: up until December 16 During the first weeks of Advent, the Church gives us daily readings from the prophet Isaiah. With the eyes of faith, these foretell the coming of the Messiah. The gospel narrative for this part of Advent offers a wide variety of Gospel readings that support what we discover in the first reading of the day. After almost two weeks of Isaiah readings, we hear the foretelling of a Messiah from other prophets from the Hebrew scriptures - in Sirach, Numbers, Zephaniah and returning to Isaiah. With each passing week, the prophets speak more clearly of the coming of a Saviour. So, in reading the first reading, for the first part of Advent, we listen to the anticipation, expectation, hope and promise. In listening to the second reading, we listen for the fulfilment or connection with the gospel.
What is it I long for?

We are about to begin our Advent at the time society begins Christmas preparations. It is a busy time, and our heads are filled with details to remember. And, it is a time of emotional complexity that is part of this holiday season - with all of the expectations and challenges of family and relationships: who we want to be with and who we struggle to be with. So, our hearts are a bit tender, if not completely defended from experiencing anything deeply.

We are about to hear some very powerful and stirring readings from Isaiah, the Prophet. We will re-enter the ancient tradition of a people longing for the coming of a Saviour. We may remember the days of our childhood when we longed for Christmas to come, because it was a magical time of receiving gifts. As adults, we have to ask ourselves: "What is it I long for now?" The answer won't come easily. The more we walk around with that question, and let it penetrate through the layers of distraction and self-protection, the more powerfully we will experience Advent.