The season of Advent focuses on the comings of God into the world, God coming into human experience. The divine, the all-holy one, breaking into the mundane into the everyday. Advent looks forward to the Lord’s final coming in glory and backward to His first coming in the flesh. Further, it affirms that God is now present in the sacraments and other experiences.
Advent identifies three comings of God: the coming of God in history – the Birth of the Son of God in human flesh; the coming of God in mystery – God comes to us now; and the coming of God in glory – at the end of the world. In summary, God came; God comes; God will come again.
The magnificent hymnody of the Advent season celebrates these comings of God. For example:
God’s coming in glory: This hymn sings of the Lord’s majestic return: “Lo he comes with clouds descending. Once for our salvation slain. Thousand, thousand saints attending. Swell the triumph of his train. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ the Lord returns to reign.”
God’s coming in history: This hymn sings of the Birth according to the flesh of the Child of Bethlehem: “O Holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin, and enter in. Be born in us today.”
God’s coming in mystery: This hymn sings of God with us now: “O come, O come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Advent begins the Church year with messages of hope and preparation. Preparation for the comings of God for which you must be ready. Hope connects us to the comings of God who came, who comes and who will come again. As an anchor steadies a boat, hope ties us to God who steadies us in a topsy-turvy world. God holds us as the changes of life spin around us and in us. Through hope, God communicates with us, not from a distance, but through these comings, which show God who was, who is and who will be.
Unfortunately, this year the calendar cheats us from four weeks of Advent to three weeks. The fourth Sunday of Advent is Sunday, Dec. 24. At 4 p.m. on that Sunday, we begin the Christmas Season. This gives us shorter time to take spiritual advantage of the Advent Season.
Let us resolve to make the best of our Advent journey despite its brevity. We need the grace of this season. The hustle and bustle of the weeks before Christmas can be quite distracting, which can cause us not to prepare for the comings of God. Let us resolve to wait on God’s comings; to prepare ourselves; to get ready for the comings of God among us; to expect that God draws near to us. We want God near. We are not alone. The ancient Advent prayer prays with intensity, Come Lord Jesus. Come.
Let this Advent be a time of fresh beginnings for your relationship with God, whose comings bring you hope. Despite the noise of the world, God speaks and can be heard. Despite the distractions and darkness of life, God can be seen. Despite the hatred of the world, God’s love can be experienced.
Come quickly Lord Jesus! Come quickly!
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden