The Real Meaning Of Advent
I remember the first time I started to understand the meaning of Advent. I was in Catholic elementary school; December thoughts bounced around my mind, and every single one of them was excitement for Christmas. I wondered what toys I would get. I was so eager to put ornaments on the tree, and I couldn’t wait to practice for the Christmas Eve Mass and the skit we would perform about the nativity. I was so preoccupied with anticipation for Christmas that I barely noticed how bare the church was in the preceding weeks, and how somber the music at mass was.
Our priest, Father Tony (Ernst), would always come down in between the pews at our school Masses during the weekdays and ask us questions during his homily. I remember one of the weeks before Christmas, Father Tony asked us what Advent was. The majority of what I knew was that we would have pretty candles around a wreath in the front, and the priest would wear pink and purple. But Father Tony explained to us that Advent is a season of preparing for Jesus Christ to be born in our hearts. He compared it to how we clean up our homes before someone important comes to visit. In a similar way, we should clean up our hearts in preparation for Jesus coming to us.
Even though Father Tony had to explain Advent to us in a somewhat watered down way, his words to help us understand are still relevant and beautifully simple. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that “Advent (like Lent) includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting, and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas.” Instead of focusing on Christmas as the secular holiday or the day we get presents, let us always remember that it is Christ who gives this day true meaning. We must not overlook the importance of the days leading up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
Advent symbolizes the anticipation for new beginnings and preparing ourselves to receive the most amazing gift of Jesus Christ in the flesh – living and breathing like you and me. Pope Francis tells us, “The season of Advent restores … a hope which does not disappoint for it is founded on God’s Word. A hope which does not disappoint, simply because the Lord never disappoints! … Let us think about and feel this beauty.” Jesus is the reason we can have hope; he opened the gates of heaven and showed us that an Almighty God can truly become our Father.
Pope Francis also said, beautifully, “Let us allow ourselves to be guided by [Mary this Advent], she who is a mother, a mama, and knows how to guide us. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her during this season of active waiting and watchfulness.” Our dear mother Mary shares with us her humility and grace and wants only to lead us to her Son. Allow her to hold you and mold you into a perfect heart that is uncluttered and filled with love and anticipation like hers was so many years ago in Bethlehem.
This year I pray that you and I won’t neglect the beautiful opportunity of Advent. It is a chance to reflect on what we need to get rid of in order to make our hearts beautiful for the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent truly is a time of preparation and getting our hearts ready to welcome the newborn Christ into our lives in a new way unlike ever before. May our hearts be ready to embrace him as we spend these next weeks in joyful anticipation, preparing our hearts for our baby King.
