Comment
Advent: Patiently awaiting the return of the Lord
Bishop Shelton J. Fabre
Greetings in this holy season of Advent!!! With the beginning of the season of Advent we embark upon a new Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Year is the structured prayerful format that the Roman Catholic Church undertakes in accepting the grace to reflect upon and to live the reality of God’s love in our lives. The Liturgical Year takes us through: The preparation for the birth of the Lord (Advent); the birth of the Lord (Christmas); the season of preparation for the passion and suffering of the Lord (Lent); the passion and death of the Lord (Holy Week); the resurrection of the Lord (Easter); the Ascension of the Lord, the descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost); and then a number of Sundays referred to as ‘ordinary time’ or ‘counted’ Sundays when we delve deeper into the mystery of the reality of our relationship to Jesus Christ and what it calls us to embrace. The Liturgical Year begins each year with the season of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival, and the season invites us to reflect upon and to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ to us in two ways. First, the season of Advent invites us to pray and reflect on the fact that Jesus will come again at the end of time. Therefore, the liturgies of the beginning of Advent are filled with readings about the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time. However, on Dec. 17, the second focus of Advent emerges. The second focus of Advent shifts our reflection and prayer to preparing to celebrate again during the Christmas season the
first coming of Jesus in his historical birth at Bethlehem. Each season of the Liturgical Year has its own unique character that is supported by the readings and prayers of the different celebrations that are a part of it. In my opinion, the character that is given to the season of Advent by its prayers and readings are among the most hope-filled images found in the Liturgical Year. Some of the most beautiful images in Scripture are found in the prophecy of Isaiah, and some
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I pray that in your life you will use the season of Advent to prepare the way of the Lord to come to your heart, and prepare to welcome the Lord when he comes in glory at the end of time.
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Comfort For My People
of the most powerful of these images have become heralds and hallmarks of the season of Advent. The readings from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that will be used during the liturgies of Advent will provide us again with great reflection themes during this season of preparation and anticipation. They are images of the peace that God has promised to us when the Kingdom of God is fully established. Some of these promises are partially available to us now, but they will all be fully available when Jesus Christ comes again in his glory. So I encourage
8 • Bayou Catholic • Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux • December 2021
you to stay with the season of Advent during its very short time span, and I encourage you not to surrender too quickly in prayer and anticipation to the arrival of the joy of the Christmas season. The season of Advent has much to tell and to teach those who will be faithful to its call and character. The focus of Advent is patient waiting, or patiently awaiting the return of the Lord. In these months that have followed the destruction of Hurricane Ida, many of us find ourselves waiting for various reasons – waiting for insurance claims, repairs to buildings, new roofs, or for a number of other occurrences in life. These aspects of waiting can serve to remind us that we are also awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. The images of the second part of the season of Advent seek to give us comfort as we wait, inviting us in all circumstances to place our hope in the Lord, whom we know will come to save us. I hope this year that Advent speaks very loudly to each of us with regard to our hope that is rooted in the Lord. I pray that in your life you will use the season of Advent to prepare the way of the Lord to come to your heart, and prepare to welcome the Lord when he comes in glory at the end of time. I pray that you will also remember that through the power of the Holy Spirit the Lord is indeed always with us, right here and right now. I also utilize this opportunity to wish to you and those whom you love all the blessings of Christmas. God’s greatest gift to us is his Son, Jesus Christ. Even more than we have in the past, I invite us in an even greater way this year to turn our attention and our generosity to those in our community who continue to suffer so deeply from the effects of the hurricane. May our loving generosity toward them during this time of the year allow hope to be born in their lives, and in our lives as well. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to all! BC
