From this Sunday, we start a new liturgical year. This year, we mainly focus on the Lukan Gospel to contemplate the mystery of Christ – the mystery of our salvation. During the liturgical year, as the Vatican II document on sacred liturgy puts it, “the Holy Church unfolds the whole mystery of Christ, from the incarnation and birth until the ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of blessed hope and of the coming of the Lord.” (102). Thus, all the faithful are given a chance to have the privilege of attaining the necessary graces for their personal redemption.
The liturgy helps us to transcend time. Christ, who was the beginning also becomes the hope of our glorious future. Though Christ was beyond time, He came, lived, worked, and died in time, so that all can transcend from time to eternity. Therefore, the liturgy brings out different events of Christ’s life. By commemorating them, we may relive the mystery of Christ’s own life.
We begin the liturgical year with Advent. “Adventus” was a Roman (pagan) word that described the joyful celebration of the anniversary of the manifestation of a deity or a dedication of a temple to a particular deity. Later, this term was also used in the context of celebrating the anniversary of Roman Emperors coming into power. Christians used this same term to prepare for the coming of Christ who is truly the Son of God and the King of all the kings.
The present practice – four weeks of preparation for Christmas – was instituted by Pope Gregory the Great at the end of the 6th century. Unlike Lent, preparation for Christmas is less aesthetic, putting the focus mainly on the incarnation of the Son of God who is coming into the world to reconcile us to God. It is, therefore, a time for preparing ourselves in faith for the joyful event of Christ’s birth.
The liturgy in Advent helps us celebrate the three distinct comings of Christ in our world.
The first is yesterday: we commemorate the actual coming of Christ in the historical context. He was born of the Virgin Mary – God becomes flesh (John 1:14). In the third and fourth week of Advent, we read about the events that lead to the birth of Christ. These events are sometimes called “annunciations” because they speak about the annunciations to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph.
The second is today: One of the focuses of celebrating Christmas is to see the incarnation of Christ in the present context. Jesus always incarnates in our present time. Addressing the Asian Synod of Bishops, Pope John Paul II urged the bishops to make every attempt to plant the cross of Christ in their own local cultures, so that every human person can get an easy access to the redemptive graces given to all in Christ.
The third is tomorrow: We look forward in expectation for the glorious coming of Christ in His glory. In the first two weeks of advent, the Gospel readings are focused on helping us for our own meeting of Christ at the end of our own time and that of the world.
Advent is all about preparing our souls to meet Christ at His incarnation. “Come Lord Jesus, come!”
– Fr. Ranjan D’Sa