The Meaning of Advent*

THE MEANING OF ADVENT*
In pursuit of the truth – www.cinopsbegone.com – Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI speaks his mind:

1)Advent – what does it mean? Advent is a Latin word that can be rendered in English as “presence, arrival”. In the language of the ancient world it was a technical term expressing the arrival of an official, especially the arrival of kings or emperors in the provinces. It could, however equally denote the arrival of the deity who appears out of concealment and powerfully manifests his presence or whose presence was celebrated in cultic ritual. The Christians adopted this term to proclaim their special relationship to Jesus Christ…”God is here.” He has not abandoned this world. He has not left us behind alone. Even though we cannot see and touch him like so many things – he is present, nevertheless, and visits us in many ways… His presence has already begun, and we, the believers, are the one through whom he desires to be present in the world.

2)Saint Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: “The hour has come … the night is far spent, day is near. Let us, therefore, cast aside the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us conduct ourselves honorably as in daylight, not in revelries and drunkenness, without lewdness and debauchery, without quarrels and dissension. No, put on the Lord Jesus Christ …” Advent, accordingly, means to get up, to be awake, to rise from sleep!... The nocturnal orgy of an image of a world gone wrong – are we not compelled to realize, with dismay, how accurately Saint Paul describes here our own times as well, times that are sliding back into paganism? To rise from sleep – this means to rise from conformity with such a world and with such times, courageous in virtue, courageous in faith to shake off the dream that prevents us from recognizing our vocation and our highest potential…


3)Advent is also a reality for the Church. God did not divide history into two halves, one bright and the other dark. He did not separate men into those he has redeemed and those he has forgotten. There is but one indivisible history, which as a whole is marked by man’s weakness and wretchedness and which as a whole stands under God’s merciful love that incessantly envelops and sustains history. Our century compels us to learn anew the truth of Advent: the truth, namely, that Advent always has been and yet still is; that all mankind is one in God’ eyes; that all mankind stands in darkness; and yet that all mankind is also illuminated by God’ s light.

4)Advent is not mere remembrance and representation of something of the past, but that Advent means this present time, this our present reality: the Church here does not indulge in play but refers us to something that represents the truth about our Christian existence.

George H. Kubeck, *from the classic book, Co-Workers of the Truth, Dec. 1-4th [used book reasonably priced]