Advent A Liturgical Celebration Leads to Greater Love Week One: Hope
Today is the first Monday of the season of Advent. According to the Liturgical Calendar, New Year’s Day was yesterday, Sunday, December 4th. The purpose of the Liturgical calendar is to celebrate the mystery of Jesus Christ’s coming to earth as a newborn child and to live as fully human—as well as fully God—for 33 years. Each liturgical year leads the Christian to consider the entire life of Jesus, including the work of redemption, which was accomplished by his death, resurrection, and ascension, as well as Christ’s return one day to establish a forever kingdom.
In my non-liturgical faith tradition, little emphasis was placed on Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas and in some Christian traditions until Epiphany on January 6th. I was introduced to the significance of this season several years ago through a meaningful advent devotional. Celebrating the season of Advent has added a deeper dimension to my Christian faith and a greater appreciation for Immanuel, the God who came to be with us!
Traditions of celebrating Advent include the Advent Wreath. Here is a photo of one I put together using a fresh evergreen wreath. It is simply decorated with pinecones, baby’s-breath, red berries, and ceramic pieces of the holy family I borrowed from one of our Nativity sets. Each Sunday of Advent, a new candle is lit, joining previous week’s candles. On Christmas Eve, the tall candle, which signifies Jesus, is lit. There are variations of the order in which each week of Advent is symbolized. The ones I have used are:
Week One, which symbolizes HOPE:
The first week of Advent reminds us of the long-hoped-for Messiah, the arrival of Immanuel, through the mystery of the Incarnation. Concerning the Incarnation, Swiss theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) said,
The nativity mystery “conceived from the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary,” means, that God became human, truly human out of his own grace. The miracle of the existence of Jesus, his “climbing down of God” is: Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary! Here is a human being, the Virgin Mary, and as he comes from God, Jesus comes also from this human being. Born of the Virgin Mary means a human origin for God. Jesus Christ is not only truly God, he is human like every one of us. He is human without limitation. He is not only similar to us, he is like us.
On this first post of Advent 2023, I’d like to pass on an Advent blessing I received yesterday. These blessings come daily to my email in box and have enriched and encouraged my journey of faith many times.
May the Advent God be with you, inviting you to an eager expectation of new life within you. May you know hope, may you know peace as you await the birth of what is yet to be in you. May the life you embrace be a sharing in the God of life and incarnation among us. May the Advent God bless you.
--Maxine Shonk, OP
May you be filled with great hope this first week of Advent,
