Advent begins

Angelus Message – December 2, 2012

 

Greetings and blessings on during this first week of Advent! 

This past Sunday, our Holy Father greeted pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square, reflecting on the meaning of “advent”.  The word means, “coming” or “presence”, and in our Christian tradition, it refers to the coming of God and His presence in the world.  It is a mystery involving all of creation, all of history, knowing particularly two moments—the Incarnation and the second coming of Jesus Christ.  We do not know when the Lord will come in all his glory and splendor, but these two events are intimately related and touch each other in their depths, “because with his death and resurrection Jesus has already realized that transformation of man and the cosmos that is the final goal of creation”.  While we wait his coming and before the end, the Lord tells us that it is necessary that the Gospel of Jesus Christ be preached to all the nations.  “The Lord’s coming continues, the world must be penetrated by his presence.”  The Holy Father exhorts us saying that our collaboration is required and the Church, the Bride of Christ in communion with her Lord, collaborates in this coming of the Lord.

Drawing connections with the Sunday’s Gospel, Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, and the second reading, 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – 4:2, the Holy Father tells of how these readings describe the conduct necessary to prepare and get ready for the Lord’s coming – mainly, “sobriety and prayer” and growing and in love “among ourselves and towards others, to make our hearts strong and blameless in sanctity”.  He says, “In the midst of the upheavals of the world, or in the deserts of indifference and materialism, Christians welcome the salvation that comes from God and bear witness to it with a different way of living, like a city on a hill”. 

Pope Benedict XVI gives to us the Virgin Mary as the perfect incarnation of the spirit of Advent – “this spirit is one of listening the God, of profound desire to do his will, of joyous service to our neighbor.  Letting ourselves be guided by her, so that the God who comes does not find us closed and distracted, but can, in each one of us, extend a part of his kingdom of love, of justice, and of peace”.  May we walk with Mary, our Blessed Mother, during this Advent season, learning from her how to prepare our hearts for the Word of God. 

Following the Angelus, the Holy Father spoke of another beatification, this one in India.  The Blessed's name is Devasahayam Pillai, who was a layman martyred for the faith in the 18^th century.  He was a royal official who converted from Hinduism to Catholicism, and refused to deny his faith. 

Lastly, the Holy Father spoke about the International Day of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which took place on Monday.  He spoke of the dignity of all persons, encouraging the ecclesial community and governmental workers to be attentive and welcoming to the needs of these persons and to safeguard their rights. 

Blessed Advent!

 

 

Image from http://saints.sqpn.com/blessed-devasahayam-pillai/.