Pastor's Pen - November 27, 2016

This weekend begins our celebrations of Advent.  This word “Advent “comes from the Latin word meaning “coming”, which would be in contrast with the word “Emmanuel” which means God with us.
 
What is Advent?  If someone were to come to you and ask you “what is Advent”, what would you say to them?

• Time of spiritual renewal/preparation for the faithful to celebrate Christmas
• Begins on the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostles (Nov. 30)
  • Somewhere between November 27 and December 3
• Spans four Sundays and four weeks, although the last is usually truncated because of when Christmas falls (not so this year).
• Beginning of the Church year
• Marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing.

 
Despite the sketchy history behind Advent, the importance of this season remains to focus on the coming of our Lord.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses the two-fold meaning of this “coming”:  “When the church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first Coming, the faithful renew their advent desire for His second coming” (524)
 
Advent is our time to become more involved, more caught up in the meaning and the possibilities of life as a Christian community.  Thus we are preparing not only for Christmas but also for Christ’s Second Coming.  This means that when He comes again, we will be awake and watchful.  He will not find us asleep.

Fr. Chuck