The grace of waiting

1st Sunday of Advent

Readings: Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b—64: 2-7; Psalm 80, R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.; 1 Corinthians 1; 3-9; Gospel—Mark 13: 33-37

I would like to use our reflections for this First Sunday of Advent as context setting for the next four Sundays. This, hopefully, will be a helpful preparation for Christmas.

Reflection points: one, the meaning of the term, “advent”; two, the symbolism of the Four Sundays of Advent; and three, the core graces of the season.

The term advent means the coming or arrival. In its early usage, old French and Latin, it meant the coming or the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. It was, if my source is accurate, only in the mid-18th century when its usage in English became more generic, simply the coming or arrival of something or someone.

The Advent Season reconnects us to two great elements, mysteries, of our faith. It helps us prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas day, and in His second coming.

The Gospel counsels us, “Be watchful! Be alert!” (cf. Mark 13: 33-37) Jesus may come any time. “Watch!”

The mood of the season, and the grace to pray for, is to be watchful, to wait and to be alert. It is not a passive watching or waiting, but an active, i.e., marked by alertness, watching and waiting.

Our second point, the symbolism of the four Sundays, deepens this watching and waiting. The four Sundays represent the 4,000 years of waiting for God’s people.

The tradition is from the time of creation and the subsequent fall of Adam and Eve to the birth of the Savior is 4,000 years. Each week, each candle, this represents 1,000 years.

Advent used to be 40 days, like Lent. Both prepare us for the two great feasts of our faith, Christmas and Easter, respectively. Both are periods of prayer, fasting and penance and works of charity. When the observance of Advent was relaxed, it became four Sundays instead of the 40 days.

Revelation in time

The symbolism of the four Sundays deepens our appreciation of the sacrament or grace of waiting. The waiting became central to the life and faith of God’s people.

Along the way, God gave them the graces they needed to overcome challenges. Their two great traditions, the law and the prophets, were vital to their waiting. But knowing the story, one was distorted, the other they ignored and even killed.

We too are given the graces to aid us in our waiting. Our biggest edge is we have received the fullness of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, His Cross and Resurrection. Christmas is the beginning of this revelation in time and in our material world, as Jesus becomes God-with-us, taking on human flesh.

These first two points for our reflection reveal to us a fundamental reality of the Christocentric framework of our waiting. Jesus Christ is front and center of all our celebrations.

See Also

Raymond Lauchengco on art, aging, and why he didn’t just get lucky

The third and last point for our reflection is the graces we pray for each Sunday, hope, peace, joy and love.

Advent prayer

For our reflections on these, I offer this Advent Prayer:

God our Father, we thank you for sending us Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ:

He is our Emmanuel, God with us, the source of our hope that everything we do and experience with and for You has meaning and will bear fruit here and in eternity.

He is our Prince of Peace that gives us the courage that we shall overcome all the trials and tribulations of this world.

He is the Joy the angels announced when He first came in the manger, where heaven and earth met, Your deep gladness to send your Son and our hunger for the Savior.On that holy night of His birth, “Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” (C.S. Lewis) Your perfect love for us, Jesus Christ, Your Beloved Son.

May He come quickly into our hearts and life this season, and not delay. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.May this season of grace bless us with the grace of waiting on hope, peace, joy and love. —CONTRIBUTED INQ