Part of the homily originally delivered in Filipino on the occasion of the 1st Sunday of Advent at the chapel of Barrio Visaya, Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City
The word "advent" comes from the latin word adventus which means "coming." As the start of the new liturgical year, the season of advent is a special time for us to reflect and prepare ourselves to commemorate and remember the coming of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Another word associated with advent is "waiting", as the days of advent are actually days where we wait not just for Christmas day but for He whose coming we await for - Jesus Christ.
It is said that there are three levels of "waitings and comings" in the season of advent. The first is that which has already happened in Salvation History: the waiting for the long-awaited Messiah and His coming in birth of Jesus. The Father, out of His tremendous love for His creation, sent His only begotten Son in order for us to have life and have it to the full. By coming to the world in the person of Jesus Christ, He came to redeem not just His chosen people, but all of us. This mystery of the Incarnation is the what we commemorate and celebrate during Christmas.
The second level of "waiting and coming" that we remember in the advent season is that which we look forward to in the future: the second coming of Christ in the end of time. This is reflected in the creed the we profess: "I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting." Through the last few weeks of Ordinary Time, we reflected on the "end days" where we not just simply wait for the second coming of Christ but also prepare ourselves for it. Until that day comes, out lives should be characterized by active waiting and inner change so we can receive Him with open hearts.
Finally, this "waiting and coming" is something that we also experience in the present: the coming of Christ in our everyday lives. Our daily lives revolve around welcoming the life and presence of Christ, in our actions and words, through the people around us. We concretely experience this through the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. This perhaps is our real advent journey: of waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ in our lives.
More than thinking of Christmas right ahead, let us take this time of advent to truly prepare ourselves to receive God's best gift to us: His Son. And perhaps, the best give we can give Him in His coming is our very own selves. And so, we ask ourselves: how ready are we to receive Him and give ourselves to Him in our todays and tomorrows? The advent season is an opportunity to trim our excesses, fill our lacks, and to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord in our lives.
In a time where the experiences of waiting and preparing are something undesirable because we can get whatever we want in a snap, we pray for the graces of patience and anticipation that we may truly welcome Christ and give Him the best gift that we can give Him: our lives.
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