Waiting in Hope
I feel as if I have received my first Christmas present, and it always arrives early. It is Advent, a liturgical season that I dearly love and look forward to eagerly every year. This year it is particularly special because we are celebrating Advent for four full weeks.
Like many gifts, Advent comes in different sizes, from long to short. Advent always has four Sundays, no more and no fewer. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, as it does this year, we celebrate Advent for four calendar weeks, each of them stretching from Sunday through Saturday. But if, for example, Christmas falls on a Wednesday, the Fourth Sunday is followed by a Fourth Week of Advent that contains only Monday and Tuesday. Christmas Day arrives, and the Church’s Christmas season begins.
When that happens I always feel a bit shortchanged, even though I know that liturgically speaking, it is right and necessary. When Advent is short, I feel as though I am losing part of the wonderful experience of anticipation, of waiting expectantly and joyfully for Christmas to arrive. It’s ironic, because usually I hate waiting for anything. Whether it’s a red light, a long checkout line at the supermarket, or a crowded doctor or dentist’s office, I’m impatient and fidgety. But when Advent arrives, I am not only content to wait, I’m happy, and I know why.
Advent brings the joy of looking forward to a great event that we know will come to pass. Humanity needs a Redeemer. God has promised to send one, and God is true to his word. He will not leave us helpless and hopeless. He will provide what we need, but in his time, not ours. He calls us to wait in faith, and to practice patience and trust. Advent also offers us time to reflect on some serious questions, including why we need a Redeemer, and what would happen to us if he did not come.
The Church provides us with a glorious setting to ponder these things. The Advent liturgy is magnificent. The readings from the Hebrew scriptures are filled with longing for the promised Redeemer; they capture the desolation of humanity caught in sin and helpless to break free. The readings remind us that God’s promise to send a redeemer, recorded in Genesis, was not simply an act of divine kindness. It was a radical act of mercy. The sin of Adam and Eve deprived not only the first man and woman of the hope of salvation, but all of their descendants as well. Humans in their fallen state were helpless; they could not atone for the damage that had been done, nor could they reopen the gates of heaven for themselves. Only God could do that.
The scriptural readings of Advent are filled with promise and hope, and also with a command: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make ready, turn from sin, seek to be holy. Advent hymns express so poignantly the longing of the soul. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” captures the essence of Advent in haunting melody and eloquent words. “People, Look East” is another favorite of mine; I love the verse that tells us to make our homes and surroundings as neat and clean as possible for the anticipated Guest. The imagery of thoroughly cleaning the house suggests the call to cleanse our hearts and souls. The perfect opportunity to do that will come on Reconciliation Monday, Dec. 19, when priests in the New York Archdiocese will hear confessions for extended hours; check parish bulletins for information. Everyone who comes to confession, including those who haven’t set foot in church in many years, will find a grace-filled, compassionate welcome at the start, and, at the finish, the gift that Christ promised: that peace which the world cannot give.
As we await the promised Savior, our best model of patient waiting is Mary, the Mother of God. In the words of her cousin St. Elizabeth, “Blessed is she who believed that what the Lord had spoken to her would be fulfilled.” We can ask Mary to help us to reflect on the miracle of the Incarnation, strengthen our faith, and prepare our souls for the coming of God-made-man. We can also ask Mary to help us to wait as she did: With trust in God and with hope that the word of God in our own lives, as in hers, will be fulfilled.
The Lord is on his way, and the Lord’s way leads directly to the heart, every heart, your heart and mine. Prepare, and be at peace. He is coming.
A blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas to all.