Fourth Sunday of Advent

This passage describes time unfolding in our lives, both in natural seasons and our liturgical cycle. Predictable as these seasons are, there is still an element of surprise. The budding seeds of spring blossom in our summer gardens. The beauty of fall colours gives way to a white winter. This can make us forget the scenes of mud, slush, and the hot and humid days we endure. However, these light and dark moments too are part of our prayerful reflection.

During the Liturgical Season of Advent, the church has its own rhythm, inviting us to ponder Scripture and to read and sing about God's promises for peace and justice in the coming of the Messiah. Advent means "coming" as we await the coming of Jesus. This is well illustrated in Christmas cards where baby Jesus lies comfortably on a straw bed. However, is awaiting Baby Jesus what Advent is all about? The event has already occurred. Surely, this beautiful symbol is not what we're preparing for.

I once saw a poster that read, "Advent: A Pregnant Season." I like to think of Advent this way. It is a time of waiting, but not for an event that happened 20 centuries ago. We prepare for its significance spiritually and practically. We light candles and pray with the readings. We experience a nearness as we await the new birth. Advent is a season of transformation, a time to be reborn.

In pregnancy, two persons live as one. The baby is a familiar companion to the mother. A new world opens up to the infant gradually, and when the time comes, all life centers on this new birth. Perhaps Advent is a time for change, for a new person to emerge not from without, but from within. If we can give birth to the God within us, we can live in the rhythm and spirit of Advent for all seasons.

By Jacqueline de Verteuil CSJ