The liturgical season of Advent and its true meaning
seems to get more and more obscured in the busy, secular world we live in.
Coinciding with the Black Friday/Cyber Monday chaos of shopping, and the
intensity of family obligations, travel, Christmas parties, more shopping,
events, and other things leading up to Christmas, we often forget the real
purpose of Advent.
Advent is the season of expectation (CCC 523) and of
great hope in the Lord, in ensuring we are prepared for His coming—certainly the
feast of His birth, but also the preparation of the Second Coming. In a real
sense too, it’s about our own end, when we will eventually meet Him in Heaven.
It’s quite a juxtaposition that is often forgotten. Prepare the way of the
Lord (Matthew 3:3) in some ways means: “be ready for the final judgment”—a
stark lens to look through when preoccupied with wreaths, ribbons, and wrapping
paper.
Psalm 131 is a great way to approach Advent. This
Psalm, one of the shortest, calls upon us to trust in God’s love and care—to
put aside the troubles and burdens of daily life, and put our hope in Him. It
is a song of ascents, a beautiful reminder that we are citizens of the Heavenly
Kingdom.
If we approach this Advent with Psalm 131 on our
lips, we can immerse ourselves in “the great events of Salvation history,” (CCC
1095) which enables us to surface the true meaning of this season. It will
bring us calm re-assurance during these days and nights of cold and darkness;
God promises us that the dawn will break eventually and we must endure with a
strong faith to get there. Our hope—our expectation—is anchored in trusting in
the Lord’s promise and love.
Advent, seen through Psalm 131, is a proper and
healthy way to understand how we can prepare ourselves—and our world—for the
coming of Jesus Christ…on Christmas Day and every day.
Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty.
Pride
is one of the seven deadly sins; we have all struggled mightily with it, even
if we choose not to admit it. This prayer asks God that we be properly
conformed to Him, in a way that puts others and their needs first, above our
own. Jesus puts us first in His heart and we must do the same for others,
especially the poor, sick, oppressed, marginalized, and those who are
spiritually lost. We can be the light of Christ to them, especially in their
darkest hours and during the darkest time of the year.
I do not busy myself with great matters, with things
too sublime for me.
Busy.
We are always busy. Endlessly rushing to and fro in a multitude of
"important" things to do. In our post-Thanksgiving rush, we often
neglect others—and our own spiritual life—because we need to always be “on the
go.” But we must ask God for the grace of slowness. Slowing down can help us
see those “God moments” in our everyday life, because God wants us to see them.
He wants us to know that He is with us every step of the way. Advent is the
time to pause, take stock, and to prepare ourselves for the Lord. The busier we
are, the less we see God in our lives.
Like
pride, we often exalt ourselves and our "busy, very important" tasks
without putting them in the proper perspective. Advent allows us that break to
gain a better perspective. Psalm 131 reminds us that God is in total control
and oversees all things. Therefore, we only need to be content with being His
servants, allowing the Lord to use us as the vessel to make great things
happen, whether or not (most likely not) we know, see, or understand it.
Rather, I have stilled my soul.
Advent
reminds us that we are linked to God like a little child. Quiet time in
adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, even for a few minutes, can be a
tremendous grace:
Be
still my heart, for I am in the presence of the Lord.
Be still.
Sitting
quietly, meditating, or praying can be soothing for our soul:
Slowly,
I see, accept, and if God desires, understand,
how He is active in my life and others.
Individually,
a person cannot rely on themselves to "make things happen." Only with
others—and through others—can we truly be properly aligned with God. Advent is
the time to bring ourselves as a community back to God, making the link between
the Almighty Father and us as His Church even stronger. We are truly dependent
on Him. Through our stillness, we can begin to see how God sees the beauty in
others, and then utilizes those people to help guide and direct us closer to
Him in a variety of ways and circumstances.
Like a weaned child to its mother,
weaned is my soul.
Weaning,
as a medical term, is the gradual transition from an infant drawing nourishment
from its mother’s breast milk or formula, to move on to other forms of
consumption, like bottles, cups, or even solid food. Our soul is inextricably
linked to Him through Christ. We are weaned on to God for our spiritual
nourishment. Advent helps remind us of this direct and strong bond, and helps
make it even stronger.
The
Hebrew word used in this Psalm for weaning is gamal, which actually has
two meanings. The literal meaning is “to wean an infant,” but it also has a
deeper meaning that is beautiful and appropriate: “to do good to another.” It
is the second sense where the same word is used in 2 Samuel, in King David’s
last great Song of Thanksgiving; “the Lord acknowledged my righteousness [and]
rewarded my clean hands.” (2 Sam 22:21)
Advent
is a wonderful time to thank the Lord for the gifts He has given each of us. We
can use these gifts to lift up the lives of our neighbors in a way that honors
God’s commandments and Jesus’s teaching: “Love thy enemy.” (Luke 6:27). If we,
too, are good to God and to others, especially in the most challenging
circumstances, we shall be rewarded with Heaven.
Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.
God
is all about hope. We cannot change what has happened to us in the past, but we
can use that experience and help forge ahead, coming closer to the Lord in
hopeful expectation. Advent is that time; a time of hope. That's why the three
Wise Men followed the star. They trusted God on a long and dangerous journey to
find the Messiah—and were rewarded for their faithfulness. Patience, prayer,
and purpose must guide our lives as we do our best to live out the Gospel.
We
do not know what will lie ahead in our journey of faith, but as Saint Paul
says, we will endure afflictions. These trials will build our endurance, since
that produces character. A strong character produces hope—it belies an
authentic hope, based on trusting God (Rom 5:4). Saint Paul, no stranger to
enduring hardships, continues: “hope does not disappoint, because the love of
God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…” (Rom 5:5).
Advent
is a time of great joy for us. The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ ushered in a
new chapter in the life of the world. His death and resurrection means that
death is no longer. It gives us hope that He will come again soon. We can use
this season of Advent to prepare for Him—and prepare ourselves. Let us continue
to build our hope and trust in God, through constant reflection, a commitment
to deepen our faith, and in service to others. Let us reflect and magnify the
light of Christ to our brothers and sisters.
AN
ADVENT PRAYER
Lord, may we have a servant’s
disposition, and the humility to see you, for the sake of others first. We ask
Jesus, our Savior, to grant us the grace so that we may open our heart and hear
His voice clearly. We ask for the joy to slow down, so that we can listen for
His Word and be able to act upon it. Heavenly Father, help make this Advent a
time of stillness, awakening, and selfless service, so that we may come closer
to God and our neighbor.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
| Isaiah Prophesying the Adoration of Christ, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=29209 [retrieved November 26, 2025]. Original source: image donated by Jim Womack and Anne Richardson. |
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