Today, the season of Advent begins. The word “advent” is from the Latin ddventus, which literally means “coming”. In the Catholic world, Advent is the four-week period of preparation for Christmas, the feast of the Nativity of Jesus. In this season, the faithful are called to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into the world as the incarnate God of love.
During the midday angelus at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI said that Advent is a time “full of hope and spiritual expectation.” He also said that “Advent is the time in which Christians must awaken in their hearts the hope of being able, with the help of God, to renew the world.”
The following is the full text of the Pontiff’s message:
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
With this Sunday Advent begins, an extremely evocative time from the religious point of view, as it is full of hope and spiritual expectation. Every time the Christian community prepares to remember the birth of the Redeemer, it feels a tremor of joy, which is communicated, in a certain measure, to the whole of society.
During Advent, the Christian population relives a double movement of the spirit. On one hand, it raises its gaze to the final goal of pilgrimage in history, which is the glorious return of the Lord Jesus; on the other, recalling his birth in Bethlehem with emotion, it bends down before the crib. The hope of Christians is directed to the future, but always remains well rooted in a past event. In the fullness of time, the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary, “born of woman, born under the law,” as St. Paul writes (Galatians 4:4).
The Gospel invites us today to remain vigilant while awaiting the last coming of Christ. “Watch!” says Jesus, “for you do not know when the master of the house will come” (Mark 13:35-37). The brief parable of the master who left on a trip and of the servants, in charge of taking his place, manifests the importance of being ready to receive the Lord, when he comes unexpectedly. The Christian community awaits his “manifestation” with longing, and the Apostle Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, exhorts them to have confidence in God’s fidelity, and to live so that when he returns he will find them “guiltless” (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:7-9) in the day of the Lord. For this reason, very appropriately, at the beginning of Advent the liturgy puts on our lips the invocation of the Psalm: “Show us thy steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation” (Psalm 84:8).
We could say that Advent is the time in which Christians must awaken in their hearts the hope of being able, with the help of God, to renew the world. In this connection, I would also like to recall today the Second Vatican Council’s constitution “Gaudium et Spes” on the Church in the contemporary world: It is a text profoundly permeated with Christian hope.
I am referring in particular to Number 39, entitled: “New Earth and New Heaven.” In it, one can read: “We are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth where justice will abide (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:13). Nevertheless, “the expectation of a new earth must not weaken, but rather stimulate our concern for cultivating this one.” We will rediscover the good fruits of our efforts, in fact, when Christ hands to his father his eternal and universal kingdom. May Mary most holy, virgin of Advent, enable us to live this time of grace watching and committed while awaiting the Lord.
hi Fr. Bobby, WELCOME HOME! We are trully glad of your return. Oh, about advent: can you enlighten me again why one of the four candles doesnt have the same colour as the rest? Sorry for this delayed reaction, excited man gud!
hi father!am so glad ur back!!!!miz yah a lot!hope u weren’t able to forget the ……… u know what was it.hehehehe!!!! God bless and take care manoy!
hope to drop by in our house when ull be in lapu2!
My mother(Nanay) was born 1929 – she her parents came from Opon. Before they lived
in Dolores/Ormoc. The stories she shared us about the place filled with cogon were true.
During my child days I still remember never forget my lola Inez is a traditional in wearing
clothing kimona saya. But I find it apart exceptional. My lola called her Mama and my lolo Papa
(Simom) who nurtured me before I went back to my own parent. Co’z must go to school. Indeed the first word I utter as I knew learned from my grand parents(mother sides). For the first time I saw my mother I was surprised I can’t believed she was pretty have a long black brown hair fairer color skin than me looking shy smiling to me so simple in a such ways different. Of course people may say I carry my own chair but I love so much my Nanay the same as I love to my dearest sweet special love(darling). My mother was devoted to Sacred Heart, Mother of Perpetual Help and Lourdes even to the Meraculous Medal Concepcion , Fatima and Santo Nino. For the Saints- Saint Anthony, Vincent ,Peter, Paul, James, John de Baptist and Josep. My father is unusual Filipino man enough about my parent. Virgin sa Regla they never told about the monthly period. I have learned from them about Reglamento. But lovely to know more about the Virgin sa Regla sa Opon.
Thanks meester CUYING. The mother of God loves you too.
For me Advent is like four seasons. I/we have to wait another season to come with hope in our heart. Waiting most for his “coming” the day that the world celebrates with joys his nativity.
The king of kings spread peace and love to all man kind.
Hoping time come I’ll be with my dearest sweet special love(darling friend) celebrating this special season.
Every season come and go must have a reason can be joyful or dissappointment the experiences I learn it becomes advent of my life.
And by The Lord, who is the Son of Man, every season makes man stronger. Jesus, thou, God in the appearance of Man, came to us in the time of youth, so to speak. It is fabulous. !