A SEASON OF GRACE AND HOPE
This annual season of Advent in the Church invites us to a life or moment of hope, grace and freshness of spirit as we begin a new journey of grace. Advent is a moment of grace to be awake while waiting. It is a new season of waiting, preparing and being alert for the coming of the Lord.
Advent season—a season of newness, renewal, grace, hope, preparation, anticipation, and joy above all. Through his Church, God Almighty invites us to use this moment to prepare for Christ’s coming at Christmas.
CHRIST’S COMING
- The world awaited his coming more than 2000 years ago.
- The world anticipates his coming in glory at the end of time.
- Equally, the world awaits his coming daily in every life event and experience.
ADVENT: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Etymologically, the word “Advent” stems from the Latin root, “Adventus”, which means ‘arrival’. In other words, it means “the arrival of a notable person or thing”. Hence, through its root from the word “advenire” whereby “ad” – ‘to’ and “venire” – ‘come’.
Liturgically, the season of Advent reminds us of the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus into the world. It also means the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, when observed in commemoration of Jesus’s birth into the world.
OUR THEME
The readings of the new liturgical season of the Church, Cycle C, invite us to wakefulness and preparedness for the Lord’s Second Coming. On Sundays, we read more from the Gospel of Luke in Cycle C.
The readings of this Sunday, especially the gospel text, challenge us to a sense of spiritual awareness, alertness, and watchfulness in prayer, goodness, and the virtuous living of our lives while awaiting his coming. It is a moment of reconciliation, repentance of sins, and preparation to receive the grace of God in our lives.
THEME OF HOPE
The central theme of the first Sunday of Advent is hope. It is a reminder of our hope in God who comes to restore our failing history of sins to grace.
Today’s readings exhort us to be vigilant for Advent. As it is a time of prayer, repentance and preparation for Christ’s coming. This is not a time for passivity, for God is at work, fulfilling his promises and crafting signs and wonders attesting to His glory.
We are called and challenged to be men and women of hope in Christ Jesus. This advent and Christmas season creates this opportunity to renew hope in the world. Especially, our brothers and sisters with failing dreams and ditch hope in humanity, systems of the world, Christianity, and God.
THE YEAR OF HOPE
The year 2025 is a Year of Jubilee, or a special year of grace in the Catholic faith, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”
WHEN IT TAKES PLACE
The Jubilee begins in Advent 2024 and ends on the Feast of the Epiphany in 2026.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The Jubilee is a time to:
- Ask for a plenary indulgence, which is a remission of sins
- Deepen appreciation for the biblical roots of the Jubilee celebration
- Foster a greater sense of global sisterhood and brotherhood
- Show solidarity with the poor
- Care for the environment
HOW IT’S MARKED
The Jubilee is marked by the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on December 24, 2024. The Holy Doors are also present in the other three papal basilicas in Rome.
HOW TO OBTAIN A PLENARY INDULGENCE
A plenary indulgence can be obtained by:
- Making pilgrimages
- Visiting holy sites
- Performing acts of mercy and penance
“PILGRIMS OF HOPE.”
As His Holiness Pope Francis so beautifully expressed it: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”…
FIRST READING: PROPHET JEREMIAH 33:14-16
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah 33:14-16 assures the weary people of Israel of God´s intervention and the fulfilment of all His promises to save them. “The Lord our justice” will do rightly and justly to restore Judah and Jerusalem.
This is the hope the season of Advent rekindled in us. The hope is that God will always intervene in our hopeless conditions.
PSALM 24
The responsorial of Psalm 24 invites us to look confidently at the Lord. It is like saying to you, O Lord, I lift my soul, for you are my hope, peace, justice and righteousness.
The psalm recognizes that salvation is only with the Lord. Hence, it invokes to know the way, path, truth, love and faithfulness of the Lord.
The psalmist also acknowledges the friendship, goodness, uprightness, humility and salvation of the Lord to all. For the Lord teaches us always to trust his covenant.
SECOND READING 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12—4:2,
St. Paul invites the Thessalonians and indeed all of us to strengthen our hearts with good deeds of love as we await the coming of Christ.
In other words, he challenges us to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus by conducting ourselves to please God.
This prayer of Paul for Christians to grow in zeal and holiness is one of our Advent petitions. In all, St. Paul invites us to prepare for an encounter with the Lord.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36
The gospel account of Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 paints the gloomy pictures of the last days and their warning signs. Therefore, it invites us to stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.
The central message is to be vigilant at all times and pray for the day of the Lord. It is an eschatological coming which we are not sure of the day, hour or moment.
It is also clear that the fundamental of the Advent season is the anticipation of the coming of Christ. Luke invites us to reflect on this theme in the form of encouragement. He wants us to be ready for the final day when Christ will come as judge.
Spiritually, what does the Advent season mean for us? Truthfully, our daily lives are a continual advent in which Jesus Christ continues to manifest himself or the divine Godhead in every event, experience, and history of human existence.
THE LESSONS OF ADVENT
Overall, the underlying factor of Advent is a moment of hopeful, peaceful, joyful, and lovely waiting on the Lord for salvation and restoration of our lives and situations.
It offers us many opportunities for togetherness or deep and genuine healing and reconciliation with ourselves.
We are called upon as individuals, families, communities, churches, or the world to let in the light of Christ’s birth into places of darkness, hate, divisions and selfishness.
In this context, we initiate the Advent season as a moment of grace.
It is a season of a faith journey that ushers in a new era. The Messianic age of God becoming Man and dwelling among us forever: Immanuel.
Advent is a moment of grace, peace, reconciliation, preparation, forgiveness, restoration, and mercy.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
Are you disposed to live through this Advent season with the hope of a bright future despite all the looming darkness of hopelessness?
What is your take on the Advent season? A time of spiritual preparation to welcome Christ-Immanuel into your life?
A time for God to be born spiritually in your heart as your Lord, Saviour and King?
Are the Advent and Christmas seasons time for holidaying and feasting, without God or Christ?
Are they a moment of social, physical, emotional and financial preparation for Spiritual preparedness?
How prepared are you for Christ coming into your life daily or finally at the end of time?
Are you vigilant or awake for when the Lord of time, space and history will manifest in glory?
OUR PRAYER
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! It is Advent: a time of waiting and allowing the rebirth of Christ in our lives. Please help us to purify our hearts by repentance, and may your coming always be anticipated with preparation. Spiritually, may the commemoration of your birth and daily coming to us through the Sacraments (especially the Eucharist), through the Word of God, and the worshipping community enrich us with grace and blessings. Equally, at the moment of our death, your Second Coming to judge the world may find us ready.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. We await your coming. Maranatha! Come, O Lord! Amen
