LAST SUNDAY we began the season of “Advent”. The term “Advent” was adopted from Latin adventus which means “coming; arrival”. During the season of “Advent” we prepare for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. We all look back to Jesus’ First Coming commonly known as Christmas. Of all the seasons in the church calendar “Advent” is the least understood. The least known. The least observed. Why? Because here in the Philippines we have the longest Christmas celebration, I do not know about you but I started hearing Christmas carols on the radio as early as June this year.
Mahaba ang Pasko kaya madalas nakakalimutan at natatabunan ang “Advent” and because we forget “Advent” we fail to prepare spiritually for Christmas. During this Covid19 pandemic, when most Christmas parties cannot be held as we did before, when I think there will be less shopping, somehow I hope our “Advent” this year 2020 will be a meaningful one and we will benefit from it.
What can we do during this season of “Advent”? First, we can devote ourselves to prayer. Many times we give the excuse that we do not have time to pray. Masyado kasing busy. Masyado kasing maraming ginagawa at maraming inaatupag. I think during this pandemic we can no longer say we do not have time because the truth of the matter is we have plenty of time. Now is the best time to pray with trust and intensely. Let us make room for Jesus into our hearts. Let us make a space for Jesus in our lives.
Secondly, we can repair divisions in our lives. Let us be honest there are many of us who have had broken relationships with family members, relatives and friends that we have not been talking to for a long, long time. People we have refused to forgive. People we do not want to ask pardon. “Advent” is a time to repair all divisions in our relationships and a time to make peace.
Moreover, “Advent” is a time to reflect on Mama Mary who is pregnant with a child…who is expecting to give birth to a child. Mama Mary who gave her “Yes” to God. There are many places in our world, in our own communities who have not yet met Christ, people who have forgotten Christ or someone who refuses Christ to enter and be the center of his life.
I think Jesus is asking us to be like Mama Mary in these communities, in these places, Jesus is asking us the same way God asked Mama Mary to bring Jesus into our world.
Last of all, “Advent” is a time to prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But whenever we talk about the Second Coming we are afraid, we are worried. Because it is the traditional view of Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, preserved from the early Church, that the Second Coming will be a sudden and unmistakable incident, like “a flash of lightning.” They hold the general view that Jesus will not spend any time on the earth in ministry or preaching, but come to judge mankind. However, I think one of the things we need to pray for is to understand with fascination the Second Coming of Jesus Christ with the same way early Christians did.
The early Christians prayed for Jesus to come back soon and so their prayer was, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.” I think this is something we need to learn and understand in our own lives. We must understand what the Second Coming really means for each one of us. The early Christians kept praying for Jesus to come again because they love Him so much and they wanted to be with Him again because of his redeeming presence and merciful love. With all our ancestors we pray, “Maranatha, come Lord Jesus, come into our lives, come Lord Jesus.”