The Season of Advent

A time for new beginnings

Fr Peter Edwards   |   21st November 2010

Next Sunday marks the beginning of the Church's New Year. The Season of Advent (a word which means "coming") foxuses on Christ's two-fold coming - His coming to us at CHristmas, and also at the end of time. In His First Coming He comes as a tiny Infant in simplicity, poverty and vulnerability; in the Second Coming He comes in power and glory as supreme Judge. Advent is therefore marked by a "joyful expectancy". How might we prepare Christ's coming - at Christmas and at the end of time?

At the beginning of the secular New Year, each January, we make New Year Resolutions, so we may ask ourselves how, as Christians, we might similarly start the Christian New Year with good resolutions.

A brief Examination of Conscience - now, during this final week of the out-going liturgical year - will reveal how we may have slipped from best practice in our Faith - or even good practice in the Faith. We have, first, to acknowledge the problems - our sins, our selfishness. Then ask ourselves how, with God's help and in his power, we can allow Him to restore the better side of our nature? How can we better dispose ourselves for God's grace to work in our hearts and lives? How will we give Him real commitment of time and attention for Him to effect differences in our person and our actions?

Good resolutions can only begin with prayer and encompass Confession (the Sacrament of Reconciliation). We need to give God the time and attention to reveal how we really are, and how He wants us to be. Wee need to express our sorrow for the past and our openness for the future - His future for us. We need to allow Him to set His seal upon us in Sacramental Confession which guarantees our forgiveness and transforms us in the very depth of our being, giving us a fresh start.

Only then might we ask ourselves what should I be doing with and for God? How can I let Him make a difference in my life, make me the person He has created me to be? Absolute faithfulness to Sunday mass is the bedrock, and then coming more frequently to Mass during the week, or to Eucharistic Adoration. Renewed times for personal prayer and, as the Holy Father calls us all, with this month's publication of Verbum Domini (the Word of the Lord), to deeper reflection of Sacred Scripture.