Advent hope: Jesus pitched his tent among us

We entered the season of Advent on Dec. 3. Did you have any Advent traditions in your own family growing up?

Yes, we always had an Advent wreath in our home. I would encourage families to consider incorporating the Advent wreath into a time of prayer before supper or before bed. It only takes about five minutes, but it’s a time when a family can gather and share their faith, talk and pray. The four Advent candles reinforce the contrast between darkness and light. Christ is referred to in Scripture as the “Light of the World” in stark contrast to the darkness of sin. Each week, as Christ’s advent (coming) approaches more closely, we light another candle to dispel the darkness. The wreath forms a circle, which reminds us that God’s love for us does not have a beginning or an end. Each of the four candles is lit, one at a time, on a different Sunday of Advent. You might say that each candle represents thousands of years. Humanity waited several thousand years for the Savior to be born. The first two candles are purple, representing the liturgical colors. The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday, and we light a rose candle as a symbol for joy – that the Savior is almost here. The final purple candle is lit on the Fourth Sunday of Advent to signify our final week of prayer as we await Christ’s birth.

Can you explain what Advent is?

People often say it’s a time to prepare for Christmas, and that’s correct, but that is only one of the three purposes of Advent. Advent really is an opportunity to look back and to prepare to celebrate the day when Christ was born and came among us; it’s also an opportunity to look forward to the future when he will come again in glory and to be prepared that we can stand before him when he comes before us at the end of our lives; and it also involves the present, when we open our eyes and we ask for the eyes of faith to see Jesus revealing himself to us in subtle and not-so-subtle ways every day. All day, the Lord Jesus is with us, walking with us, caring for us, and during Advent we can become more attentive to that and particularly see him in the events of the day. If we celebrate Advent as past, present and future, it will help us to do two things: It will help us to celebrate Christmas in a more joyful way, and it will also help us not to have to worry about going before the Lord at the end of our lives, because we will have done that on a daily basis, opening our eyes and hearts to the presence of the Lord.

The Advent readings change depending on the church cycle of readings. Do the readings have any thread that ties them together?

This Advent, we are using the readings from Cycle B. The readings certainly talk about the Israelite community awaiting the Messiah, and the Gospels for the second and third Sundays focus on John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord and helping people to be prepared for his coming among them. The Fourth Sunday of Advent – which this year falls on Dec. 24 – offers us Luke’s account of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary and announcing the amazing news that she has found favor with God and that, through the Holy Spirit, she will bear the Son of God. Mary accepts the angel Gabriel’s message and gives her total trust to God the Father, her “fiat.”

Quite a contrast to what is going on in today’s world of rampant materialism.

There has been a growing trend in terms of materialism and all the “stuff” that goes on with the season. I was thinking about all the secularism the other day. There’s Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. That’s often where our attention is turned. But when I see all of that, I think of the slogan, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” Advent is our time to literally do that. We have an incredible billboard campaign every year from the Christ in Christmas Committee, which this year is putting up nearly 70 “Keep Christ in Christmas” billboards around the archdiocese. That’s a wonderful reminder. Maybe we can put that little sticker somewhere around our house or on our car. Those secular celebrations are fine, but without the spiritual, it doesn’t make any sense. The whole idea of gift-giving on Christmas began because it is on Christmas that we remember the greatest gift that God has given to us – his Son. So, we exchange gifts with two meanings: When we give a gift, we remember that the greatest gift ever given was Christ himself, and we share a gift with others out of charity. Gift-giving also symbolizes what the three Magi did for Christ, coming to him bearing their gifts. So, we bear gifts to those whom we care about.

Pope Francis has called for redoubling our efforts to pray for peace this Advent.

Yes. We pray for an end to war in Ukraine and in the Middle East and in other parts of the world. We also pray for an end to violence in our local communities. God entered human history willingly as a child, born in a barn, vulnerable and poor, and he offers hope to all those who are suffering or worn down. He asks all of us not to escape from a world that is imperfect but to reach out to those who are hurting, in a personal way, and share whatever we have to lighten someone else’s burden. Christ has pitched his tent among us. We need to both receive him and share his love.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].