UNDERSTANDING ADVENT SEASON I

UNDERSTANDING ADVENT I ADVENT 

 The word advent comes from the Latin term adventus meaning ‘arrival” or “coming,” particularly the coming of something having great importance. Advent season, then, is both a time of joy-filled, anticipatory celebration of the arrival of Jesus Christ and a preparatory period of repentance, meditation, and penance. 

 Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in which many Christians make themselves ready for the coming, or birth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Celebrating Advent typically involves a season of prayer, fasting, and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope, and joy. The Advent season is filled with significance and meaning. It is a chance for us to reflect, hope, and grow in our faith. 

Advent is a poignant reminder that life is full of waiting through painful seasons. Just as the world once waited for the promised Messiah, we, too, find ourselves in periods of anticipation, longing, and uncertainty. In these challenging times, Advent teaches us (just as it has for thousands of believers before us) the value of patience, hope, and faith. It is a season that encourages us to hold on to our faith in Christ Jesus that, even in the darkest of moments, we have the victory over the troubles of this world in Him. Advent prepares us to celebrate His birth. By learning from the experiences of Mary and Joseph, we gain the strength to face our own challenges and keep going. Their stories inspire us to keep moving forward in difficult times. 

Advent comforts us in the waiting that redemption and celebration are not far away. All we have to do it see how the arrival of Christ brought hope and salvation to the world and remember that He is coming again! Many Christians celebrate Advent not only by thanking God for the first coming of Christ to Earth as a baby, but also for his presence among us today through the Holy Spirit, and in preparation and anticipation of his final coming at the end of the age. 

 Advent season is a time of profound spiritual reflection and preparation unfolds within the Christian calendar, in the quiet anticipation of Christmas. Many people understands Advent Season to be a time marked by the lighting of candles, the joy of cherished traditions, and the vibrant chords of carols that herald the birth of a child in Bethlehem. 

For denominations that celebrate the season, Advent marks the beginning of the church year. In Western Christianity, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, or the Sunday which falls closest to November 30 (Feast of Saint Andrew de Apostle), and lasts through Christmas Eve, or December 24. When Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, it is the last or fourth Sunday of Advent. Thus, the actual season of Advent can last anywhere from 22-28 days. For Eastern Orthodox churches that use the Julian calendar, Advent begins earlier, on November 15, and lasts 40 days rather than four weeks (in a parallel to the 40 days of Lent prior to Easter). 

Advent is also known as the Nativity Fast in Orthodox Christianity. Bishop Perpetuus of Tours (461–490) established a fast before Christmas that began on November 11 (St. Martin’s Day), and the Council of Tours (567) mentioned an Advent season. 

 The liturgical meaning of the Advent season referred to the dual “coming” of Jesus Christ. The liturgical colour for Advent is violet; many Protestant denominations have adopted blue or purple. 

The third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday, is commonly marked by the use of rose-coloured vestments and candles. 

Advent is primarily observed in Christian churches that follow an ecclesiastical calendar of liturgical seasons to determine feasts, memorials, fasts and holy days. These denominations include Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican / Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. Nowadays, however, more and more Protestant and Evangelical Christians are recognizing the spiritual significance of Advent, and have begun to revive the spirit of the season through serious reflection, joyful expectation, and through observing traditional Advent customs. 

 HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF ADVENT SEASON According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Advent began sometime after the 4th century as a time of fasting and preparation for Epiphany, rather than in anticipation of Christmas. Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ by remembering the visit of the wise men and, in some traditions, the Baptism of Jesus. Sermons focused on the wonder of the Lord's Incarnation or becoming a man. At this time new Christians were baptized and received into the faith, and so the early church instituted a 40-day period of fasting and repentance. 

 The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word “parousia”. Most people and celebrate know Advent today as a time of anticipation and expectation of the birth of Christ. However, Advent began as early as the 4th and 5th centuries as a time of fasting and prayer for new Christians. 

The first mention of Advent occurred in the 300 A.D at a meeting of church leaders called the Council of Sargossa. It gradually developed into a season that stretched across the month of December. Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The Advent season not only symbolizes the waiting for the birth of Christ, but also for his final return. One of the earliest references to a period of preparation leading up to Christmas comes from the writings of St. Athanasius in the 4th century, although the practices and duration of this preparation varied between Eastern and Western branches of Christianity. While the Eastern Orthodox Church emphasized fasting and penance during this time, the Western Church, especially in Rome, laid the groundwork for what we now recognize as Advent. 

 By the late 5th century, Pope St. Gregory the Great played a pivotal role in shaping Advent as a distinct liturgical season, stretching over a period of five to six weeks, depending on the proximity of the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30) and Christmas. During this time, it became customary to focus on themes such as the second coming of Christ Jesus, the Last Judgment, and the Nativity, connecting past, present, and future aspects of the “coming” of Christ. 

 Later, in the 6th century, St. Gregory the Great was the first to associate this season of Advent with the coming of Christ. Originally it was not the coming of the Christ-child that was anticipated, but the Second Coming of Christ. 

 By the Middle Ages, four Sundays had become the standard length of the Advent season, with fasting and repentance during that time. The church also extended the meaning of Advent to include the coming of Christ through his birth in Bethlehem, his future coming at the end of time, and his presence among us through the promised Holy Spirit. 

 THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRISTMAS 

Christmas is about the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ. It is about how he came to give us love, hope and joy. The message does not change from year to year. When there is so much bad news and devastation in the world, this is good news worth celebrating!

 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ADVENT SEASON The first day of Advent is the first day of a new Liturgical (or church) calendar and begins a four week period of preparation for the nativity of Jesus Christ at Christmas. The Advent Season is all about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ's birth in the world as it is today. 

 THE METAPHYSICAL MEANING OF ADVENT More recently, Unity publications have described Advent as a season of hope, renewal, and change. It is a time away from the many obstacles that impede spiritual growth and immerse ourselves in the one Presence. 

O DIVINE WORD, WHO TOOK FLESH FOR HUMAN SAKE, REDEEM US IN OUR SITUATION 

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus December 4 2023