The readings of Advent are always a mix of hopeful anticipation and uncertain trepidation. The hope is in God who is always faithful, and the trepidation is in the passing away of our old life. This odd blend of joy and fear is not unfamiliar in life. I recalled it most abundantly on the eve of my wedding and before the births of our children. Like these major life events, Advent heralds the end of one way of life and the beginning of a new one. The readings of Advent articulate three great movements in humanity’s story.
First is God’s promise and the anticipation of its fulfilment. All of humanity was plunged into darkness and death by sin. In the great merciful depths of His love, God promised to send a savior. For thousands of years, the Israelites cherished this promise and waited. They found reassurances of God’s fidelity in words of the prophets like Isaiah and Baruch. They also found it in the material blessings and victories He gave them over their earthly enemies.
Even in times of great hardship, the Israelites had an amazing trust in the Lord. They understood that faith in God did not mean they would not know suffering, but that in the end, God’s goodness would triumph. This is exemplified in this Sunday’s psalm which praises God for restoring Israel from exile. “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy” (Ps 126). All of the psalms this Advent
joyfully praise God’s marvelous deeds and anticipate even greater fulfilment.
The second movement is the fulfillment of the promise. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…(Gal 4:4). God Himself comes to save us. The salvation He offers is from more than just earthly suffering and enemies. He conquers our true enemies: sin, death, and the devil. He accomplishes our salvation and invites us to new life in Him. Like the Israelites, we can have certitude that no matter the foe: sin, addiction, or brokenness, if we trust in Him, God will prevail. St. Paul says, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).
The light of Christ has pierced the darkness of sin. And the Church has been sent to illuminate the world. She has been charged with the duty to evangelize “all the nations” and every generation sharing salvation, “until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). However, this illuminative period will not go on indefinitely.
The third movement of Advent is preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus. At the “close of the age,” God will gather all of the holy ones to Himself and “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:39, 43). We will be perfected in God and all suffering, sickness, and death shall be put away.
God has and is fulfilling His promise superabundantly. There is no earthly or spiritual enemy which He cannot overcome nor foe that can remove us from His arms. The challenge for us is not a lack in God’s effort but ours. The hope and joy of the season is rooted in God. The trepidation is rooted in our weakness and attachment to sin.
Each year we are invited to embrace the movements of Advent in our life. In the face of our hardships, we can emulate the enduring trust of the Israelites and cling to God’s promise of salvation. Having encountered the Messiah, God’s perfect fulfilment of His promise, we must turn away from our old life of sin and embrace life in Christ. Finally, through prayer, vigilance, and God’s grace we will persevere “so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Phil 1:10).
