When a Child is born
During one of the masses leading up to Advent, our parish priest was talking about the end of the liturgical year and the coming season of Advent. He quipped, in reference to our local tradition, that in the Philippines, Advent seems to be struggling for a place, because even at the start of the “ber” months, we are already celebrating Christmas.
The good priest was jesting. But he did have a point. Christmas for us is like playing monopoly. We get a free pass straight to the holidays, “do not pass Advent.” And this is perhaps where our version of the faith misses a trick, insofar as imparting to us the real meaning of Christmas.
What is the season of Advent? In the Catholic tradition, it is defined thus: “In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, “to come to,” and refers to the coming of Christ. This refers, first of all, to our celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas; but second, to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and finally, to His second coming at the end of time. Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.” (The Season of Advent in the Catholic Church, by Scott P. Richert, Dec. 12, 2017)
In short, the Catholics among us are taught that we should “fast before we feast.” The liturgical color of the season, like Lent, is purple because it is supposed to be observed by an increase in prayer, fasting and good works--much like what we are enjoined to do leading up to Easter. The observance of Advent makes a lot of sense, as a means of making us appreciate our blessings – which we typically enjoy during Christmas – all the more fully. It is a fitting reminder that in the midst of our abundance, all that we have is not from our own striving, but are rather gifts from Divine Providence.
It is even more fitting because of the trying times we live in. Each age, each generation, always thinks it has solved the challenges of the past. Today, it seems difficult for us to think this. All around us, the signs point to a harkening of past fault lines revived. Race and religious tension seem to be on the rise all over the world. The politics of hate and division has become dominant once again. And the moral mantle of national and global leadership has lost the eminence it once carried, with leaders coming to power who serve only narrow interests.
And so we need Advent to remind us that through it all, we ought not to despair, but need only to remember, that the world could yet be a better place. Perhaps nothing assures us of this promise than the words of the familiar carol, “When A Child is Born.”
“And all of this happens because the world is waiting / Waiting for one child / Black, white, yellow, no-one knows / But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter / Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone’s neighbor / And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever / It’s all a dream, an illusion now / It must come true, sometime soon somehow / All across the land, dawns a brand new morn / This comes to pass when a child is born.”
But as the song goes, to fulfill the promise, we first need to turn “hate to love, war to peace, and everyone to everyone neighbors.” Only then can we truly be ready to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.
Advent is a fitting reminder that in the midst of our abundance, all that we have is not from our own striving, but are rather gifts from Divine Providence.