Our preparation for Christmas begins on the First Sunday of Advent. Today is also the beginning of the new liturgical year. It reminds us that we are called to journey with the Lord every moment of our life. The Church calendar and the readings are designed for us to meditate on the life of Christ. As members of the Christian community, we begin our week on Sunday with the Holy Mass. The rest of the week, we orient our life based on the spiritual power we have received from the Eucharist. Every Sunday, we joyfully celebrate the resurrection of the Lord.
The liturgical calendar helps us to understand the entire mystery related to the life of Christ. The liturgical year is divided into six seasons: 1. Advent is the four-week preparation time for Christmas. 2. Christmas is the time of recalling the Nativity of our Lord and the way he revealed himself to us. 3. Lent is a time for the preparation for Easter – mostly a time of intense prayer and penance. 4. The Sacred Paschal Triduum or the days of Holy Week are the most important days in the Church calendar. During this time, we commemorate the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord. 5. Easter Season, which culminates with the feast of Pentecost, is the occasion we joyfully celebrate fifty days of the Lord’s resurrection. 6. During the Ordinary Time, we meditate on the teachings of Jesus, especially in connection with his public ministry.
There are four principal colors related to our liturgy. White is used in the seasons of Easter and Christmas and on feast days except that of martyrs. Red is used on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Pentecost Sunday, etc., and the feast day of martyrs. Green is used during the Ordinary Time of the year. Violet is used in the seasons of Advent and Lent. We also use this color when we celebrate the Funeral Services. There are specific reasons we use these colors on all these occasions.
So now we begin our Advent Season. Advent gives us great hope and spiritual expectation of Christmas. With the Christian community around the world, we try to rekindle in our hearts the hope that with God’s help, we can renew the world. This season is assuring us that God comes to visit us often and would like to stay with us. The Son of God has already come to Bethlehem about two thousand years ago. But he still comes in each moment to everyone willing to receive him.
Today’s Gospel reading speaks to us about the Second Coming of Christ. It means that we should be a community of faithful who must always be ready to receive Christ. The Bible says that Jesus will come at the end of time “to judge the living and the dead”. The believer is therefore always vigilant, inspired by the intimate hope of encountering the Lord. It is for this reason that Advent is a season of prayer and watchful waiting.
Advent season tells us that God gives his time for us. It is great news for us that God gives us his time. We always have little time, especially for the Lord. But still… God has time for us! How much more we should be willing to share our time with God and with our fellow human beings? Let me conclude this reflection with the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “The Season of Advent returns every year to remind us of this (God has given us his time) in order that our life may find its proper orientation, turned to the face of God.”
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil