By Fr Joseph Thondiparambil –
Introduction
The liturgical year begins with the season of Advent which lasts for four weeks. The focal point of this season is the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, celebrated on twenty fifth of December. This season begins with the evening prayer on 30th November if it is a Sunday; otherwise on the Sunday nearest to thirtieth November and that Sunday will be considered as the first Sunday of Advent. This liturgical season is called the season of Advent because it celebrates the first and second comings of the Lord; the first coming at His Incarnation and the second coming at the end of time.
Often there is a misunderstanding that the Nativity of the Lord is the principal theme of this season. But the first coming of the Lord finds it culmination in the second coming, because the purpose of the Incarnation was to recapitulate everything in Christ and to bring creation to its fulfilment, namely the final redemption of the universe with everything in it (Eph 1:10). St Paul speaks about creation that is subject to decay awaiting the final manifestation in glory at the end of time (Rom 8:9). Then Jesus would hand over the whole of creation to the Father and God would become all in all (I Cor 15:24,25).
The Relationship between the First and Second comings
The first coming of the Lord was in flesh and the second one will be in glory. In the season of Advent the Liturgy focuses its attention on the final coming of the Lord in glory and we pray in a special way that we be found prepared and waiting for the Lord’s coming. From seventeenth December onwards more emphasis is put on the event of Incarnation. But the stress is put not on the event as such, but rather on its significance for humanity and the created universe. We are made sons in the Son, for St John says that all those who received Him and believed in His name are given the grace to become children of God (Jn 1:12). It is because God sent His Son into the world in the fullness of time and He was born of the Virgin Mary so that we be raised to the position (dignity) of adopted sons and daughters of God as a result of which we can address God as Abba”, Father ( Gal 4:4; Rom 8:15).
The Season of Advent looks forward to the Second Coming
The season of Advent should not be taken only as a preparation for Christmas or as a commemoration of the period of expectation for the Messiah in the Old Testament. We have seen already that it is only one of the considerations during the period of Advent. The first coming of the Lord inaugurated the time of salvation and it will have its completion at the second coming. The faithful are invited to look forward to His second coming, recalling to mind the first advent of the Lord. In fact this is beautifully expressed in the proclamation of faith in the Eucharistic celebration after the consecration, “Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again”. These two advents are intimately related. The Church lives in history between these two comings of the Lord. We celebrate the mystery of Christ (Christ who came) and look forward to the Lord (Christ who is to come). The coming of the Lord is an event which the church celebrates and it is our guarantee that He would come again. By baptism the believer participates in the death and resurrection of Christ, but as St John says, it is not yet fully revealed as to who we are; that would happen only at the second coming of the Lord ( I Jn 3:2,3). Every celebration of the sacraments, especially the celebration of the Eucharist is an encounter with the Risen Lord who will take us into His glory in the second coming.
Maranatha (Come , Lord)!
The early church used to pray “maranatha” in Aramaic, which means “Come, Lord!”. They were living in the expectation and lively hope that the Lord will come soon (Rev 22:20). Jesus had told the Apostles that He will come again to take them to Himself (Jn16:16). The Apostles who had witnessed the ascension of the Lord were told by the angels that Jesus whom they saw ascending to heaven will come back (Acts 1:11).
The God who comes to save
Already in the Garden of Eden, we have God coming to redeem the sinful human beings. God came to the Garden in the cool of the day (all to be taken as symbolic expressions to explain God’s nature) and called out, “Adam where are you?’ (Gen 3:9). God comes in search of the lost ones. Our first parents were hiding themselves away from God because of shame (Gen 3:9). God punishes them for their disobedience and expels them from the Garden. But while sending them out, God gave them the assurance that Satan who deceived them will be defeated by the Offspring of the Woman (Gen 3:15). The expulsion from the Garden of Eden was an act of grace. Otherwise there was the possibility that Adam and Eve stretch out their hands and pluck the fruit from the tree of life and remain alive forever in their miserable state of sin and suffering. (Gen 3:22).
The Joyful Expectation of the Messiah
With the Tower of Babel the history of human race had come practically to an end because they were scattered upon the face of the earth, being unable to understand one another, as the Lord had confused their tongues. Yet God did not give them up. He came into the life of Abraham and the history of salvation began with the call of Abraham. God told him that the human race will be blessed through his Descendent. Later on the history of Israel was oriented to the coming of the Messiah.
Already in the blessing which Jacob gave to his sons, there was the hint about the ruler to come (Gen 49:10). Balaam spoke about the star that would rise in Jacob (Num 24:17). Isaiah spoke about the Messiah to be born in the House of David (Is 11:1,2). Micah foretold that he will be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2). The new covenant about which Jeremiah (Jer 3:31) and Ezekiel spoke (Ezek 37:14) was realized in Jesus (Lk 22:21).
He came unto His own, but His own received him not
The Prologue of John’s Gospel sums up man’s response to God when He came to this world.”He came unto His own but His own received him not” (Jn 1:11) It is expressed in the Gospel of Mathew in the incident of the visit of the Magi too. The chosen people rejected Him but the searchers of Truth found Him. The Magi from the east (they stand for those who seek after truth) found Jesus (Mt 2:6), but the scribes and the lawyers, though they knew where the Messiah was to be born did not go in search of Him (Mic 5:2). The irony of the situation is that those who were waiting for His coming did not go to meet Him when He came.
Stay vigilant and waiting
In the parable of the master who went for the wedding feast, Jesus told His disciples to stay vigilant and ready to receive the master when he returns. Jesus has asked us to stay awake with our lamps ready (Mt 24:50). The parable of the ten virgins is another indication that we have to remain vigilant to welcome the bridegroom (Mt 25:1-13) .The Son of Man comes at an unexpected hour. Blessed are those whom the Lord finds vigilant and waiting (Mt 24:44).
Conclusion
The period of advent is a time to be more conscious of the second coming of Christ and to remain ever ready to welcome Him when He comes. The second coming is awaited by the faithful with joyful hope in the background of His first coming. The first coming is celebrated at Christmas, but this celebration is only a foretaste of what is to come. The Christmas celebrations which tend to lose sight of the second coming of Jesus should be put back to its proper perspective. While celebrating with joy and festivity the birth of the Saviour, we shall always keep in mind that the final joyful encounter is still to come. Then we will be with the Lord singing and praising the Triune God in the heavenly Kingdom (Rev 4:7-11). But to be admitted to the heavenly banquet, we should be in the wedding garments (Mt 22:8-14) which are symbolic of the preparedness for His coming. This requires from our part a life of faith, hope and charity.
Dr Joseph Thondiparambil is a diocesan priest of the Mananthavady Diocese, Kerala and teaches Sacred Scripture at the St Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha, Kerala
(Thanks to Divine Voice Magazine for allowing us to use this article from their December 2017 issue. Used with permission)