Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus
Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in
thee.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a king,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
-
Chris Tomlin
The Roman Catholic Church-year that
begins with the season of Advent - also called the Christian year or the
liturgical year - “is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian
to the life of Jesus, the Christ.
According to the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church the season of Advent
is the beginning of the liturgical year. ‘Adventus’ from Latin means, ‘coming’.
The season of Advent is immediately before Christmas, of four weeks. Advent is
so closely related to Christmas, it can scarcely be understood apart from that
feast.
Originally, the term Advent applied
to the feast itself. Gradually it came to designate the time before Christmas. One
of the prayers for the second Sunday of Advent proclaims the central theme of
the Advent season:
“Stir us up
O Lord to make ready for your only-begotten Son. May we be able to serve you
with purity of soul through the coming of Him. Who lives and reigns…”
Here the word ‘coming’ refers to
the feast of Christmas. On the feast of Epiphany the proclamation, “Behold the
Lord has come…”. Advent, then, is first of all the comprehensive name for the
Incarnation (God becoming human) and all that the Incarnation accomplishes.
Waiting is difficult. Advent is
about waiting. Waiting is part of our life, whether waiting in traffic, or
waiting for the results of a competitive exam. Life is all about waiting. Think
for a moment about the meaningfulness of some of your own experiences of waiting.
What have you waited for? What has been worth the wait? Some of our most vivid
memories of the soulful nature of waiting may come from our childhood. Childhood
is full of these “not yet” promises. There is a real joy when the waiting ends and what we waited for
becomes a reality.
How to understand the season of Advent in our times?
The season of Advent invites us to
repentance. Therefore the colour purple is used to symbolize the meaing of the
season. Jesus came to save sinners (Matthew 1:21), and those who know him are
saved by his grace. Often we see the story of the shepherds, angels and wise
men as something nice, but not really relevant to our daily struggle. Advent
reminds us that our sin required a savior. God’s plan of redemption includes
what we experience day after day.
Advent is also a call to hope, and
the purple can point to the majesty ofChrist. Jesus is not only the baby in the
manger, he is also the coming King of Glory. Every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2:10). The deliverance we long for
will one day fully come, and all that plagues God’s people will pass away.
Advent Wreaths
Advent Wreaths is one of the
important symbolic practices that is found today. Well decorated Advent wreaths
are made of a circle of evergreen branches into which four candles are
inserted, representing the four weeks of Advent. Ideally, three candles are purple and one is
rose, but white candles are also used.
The purple candles in particular
symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works
undertaken during this season.
The rose candle is lit on the third
Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the
priest also wears rose vestments at Mass. Gaudete
Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the
midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is half over and they are close to Christmas.
The progressive lighting of the
candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming
into the world and the anticipation of his second coming to judge the living
and the dead.
In the Bible the spirit of Advent
is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting
the coming of the Bridegroom (Matt 25:1-13). There is profound joy at the
Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation
echoes through the parable. But even then, the prayer of Advent is:
Come, O Come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel!
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