Fr. JohnPaul ANIWODO

Today we begin our yearly spiritual journey, walking once again through the story of how God saved us. This journey starts with our preparation for the birth of Jesus and leads us to look forward to His final return in glory. We have entered the season of Advent, a time that means “arrival” or “coming.”

During this season, the Church invites us to think about three ways Christ comes to us:

• His first coming long ago, when He was born in Bethlehem;
• His coming today, as He meets us in the Sacraments, in the Word of God, and in our worshipping community;
• And His coming at the end of time, when He will return to judge with truth and mercy.

Advent wreath and Advent candles: History: One of the most recognizable Catholic symbols of the Advent season is the Advent wreath. It symbolizes the passage of the four weeks of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Western Church. The concept of the Advent wreath originated in pre-Christian times when people would gather evergreens and light candles to ward off the darkness of winter and serve as a sign of hope that spring would come. By the 16th century, Catholics in Germany began using the wreath as a sign of Christ’s coming. From there the tradition slowly spreads throughout the world as Germans immigrated to various countries. 

Symbolism of the Wreath: The circular wreath represents the fact that God has no beginning and no end. The evergreen branches stands for everlasting life. Four candles representing Christ as the Light of the World. Advent wreaths are reminders to slow down and prepare our hearts. They encourage us to create space within us where Christ can be born anew and traditionally, three of the candles are purple, a sign of penance.  Then the rose candle is lit on the third Sunday of advent which is also known as GAUDETE. The word "Gaudete" means "rejoice" in Latin. The third Sunday of Advent is a time to rejoice because the hopeful waiting for the coming of Christ is nearing its end.

The readings of this day say little about the first coming of Jesus but more about his second coming. The group of people who were taking and giving themselves in marriage must have been aware that Noah was building an Ark; however, Matthew 24:37-44 tells us that when the Ark was fully built and Noah and the selected members both animals and human were to enter, the people who were doing the ordinary things of this world continued to ignore the preaching of Noah. Noah preached repentance and righteousness even without saying but with a gigantic building yet their busyness was more important to them.

Our one job is to always stay awake, ‘for you do not know when the Lord is coming.’ We must watch, keep alert and stay awake by casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light. 

Christ, who is the light of the world has taken us away from the domain of darkness into his light through the forgiveness of our sins. We must remain in that light. To remain in his light involves holding on to an ordered life which begins and ends with God in prayer. Our God is a God of order and wherever there is order the devil (lover of darkness) stumbles. In this orderliness of life expected of us in order to remain in Christ’s light involves constant meditation on his words in such a way that it begins to shape one’s life.

The Psalmist says in Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart; the commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” And in Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”

Therefore, our waiting must be active. It must be a waiting shaped by watchful prayer, the kind of prayer that opens the eyes of our hearts to recognize God’s presence in the ordinary moments of life. Advent invites us to cultivate a deep interior silence where God’s voice can be heard, where His whispers become light for our path, and where His word becomes a lamp for our steps.

Our waiting must also be reflective, nourished by the daily study and meditation on the word of God. For it is in His word that our minds are renewed, our faith strengthened, and our hearts aligned with His will. Scripture becomes the compass that guides our steps so that we may not drift into spiritual sleep or become distracted by the noise and busyness of the world.

To stay awake in Advent means to live with hearts alert, minds attentive, and spirits open. It means examining our lives, turning away from sin, reconciling with God, deepening our love for Him, and widening our charity toward others. It is preparing a home within us clean, warm, and welcoming; so that when Christ comes, He will not find an empty place but a heart ready to receive Him with joy.

So, brothers and sisters, let us not wait in idleness but in readiness; not in fear, but in hope; not in distraction, but in devotion.

 

May this holy season of Advent awaken in us a longing for Christ, a desire to walk in His light, and a readiness to receive Him whenever He finally comes.