Every year during Advent, we slowly come to realize and believe that there is a deeper hope, a truer and more profound liberation. We are called to grow in our hope and our faith and to believe Christ will be our light!
First week in Advent
As we approach the first week of Advent, we notice the thread that weaves through some of the Scriptures captured in the Psalm response: “Let your face smile on us and we shall be safe.” We begin to light a candle each week to affirm the light of seeing more clearly the Divine life that penetrates our lives and our world. And we hear the call to proclaim the child in our midst. Why? What is the message?
As part of Advent, the child invites us to wait to see in a new way. We are challenged to change and to take off what keeps us from being weighed down. We are encouraged to let go of rancor and pride and jealousy. To what does this challenge me? Let us watch like a child in order to see and appreciate the wonder that is present in our lives. Let us be aware of the beauty and mystery in life on this Earth in an ever-expanding cosmos, the home of the stars.
Second week in Advent
As we move into the second week of Advent, we are invited to contemplate the peaceful images of Isaiah: the wolf living with the lamb. The leopard lying down with the goat, the calf and the lion eating together – and a little child leading them! During a time of darkness and division in our world, the Scriptures call us to hope for the new day. God is always calling us to embrace a day for respecting one another all over the globe; a day for reverencing all of creation from the cosmos to the smallest particle of our common home, the Earth; a day for deep inner peace in knowing that our God has chosen to come among us and to live within us. What will be our response to God’s invitation to enter into the mystery of our deepest identity as people loved by God?
Third week in Advent
The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudate Sunday. It is the Sunday of rejoicing. It originated in the fourth or fifth century and heightens our anticipation for the celebration of Christmas. Rejoice!
God’s graciousness and liberating activity extends to all peoples and to the very cosmos itself. All are invited to new life and freedom through the incarnation of Jesus the Christ. God is near, around and within us. Let us rejoice and be thankful in all circumstances and pray without ceasing as we wait with expectation for the proclamation of the Mystery of the Light of the World.
We wonder what helps us to be aware of God’s presence amid all the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas.