Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “At the beginning of a new Liturgical Year, the Liturgy calls the Church to renew its announcement to the nations, in two words: "God comes"… Not in the past - God came -, or in the future - God will come -, but in the present: "God comes". This, if we look closely is a continual present, something which happens always: happened, happens and will happen”. Saturday 2 December in St Peter’s Basilica Pope Benedict XVI presided the celebration of tfirst Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent. In his homily the Pope reflected on the Season of Advent. “It resounds like a salutary call as the days weeks and months repeat themselves: Awake! Remember God comes! Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, now! The one true God, "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", is not a God up in heaven with no interest for us and our history, He is a God-who-comes. He is the Father who never stops thinking of us and, with extreme respect for our freedom, desires to meet us and visit us; to come and live in our midst, to stay with us. His "coming" is propelled by a desire to free us from evil and death, from everything which prevents our happiness. God comes to save us.”
The Season of Advent develops around two main comings of Christ: His Incarnation and His return in glory at the end of time. “The first days of Advent focus on waiting for the Lord’s return - the Pope explained -. Then as Christmas draws near, the memory of the event in Bethlehem prevails, in order to recognise in it the ‘fullness of time. Between these two ‘manifest’ comings we perceive a third which Saint Bernard calls ‘intermediate’ and ‘occult’, which comes about in the souls of believers and builds a sort of bridge between the first coming and the last”.
The Church gives voice to this waiting for God “profoundly inscribed in the history of humanity; expectancy sadly often suffocated or deviated in the wrong direction… to an extent to which He alone knows, the Christian community can with prayer and "good works" hasten the last coming, helping humanity go out to meet the Lord who comes” “In this perspective Advent is more than ever a Season to be lived in communion with all those who hope for a world of more justice and brotherhood”, the Pope said. This commitment for justice is common to men and women of all different nationalities, cultures, believers and non believers. Although moved by different reasons, all are propelled by a common longing for a future of justice and peace. Peace is the destination to which all humanity aspires!”
The Pope concluded: “Let us start this new Advent - time given us by the Lord of time- by reawakening in our hearts longing for the God-who-comes and hope that His name may be made holy, His kingdom of just and peace may come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us allow ourselves in this waiting to be guided by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God-who-comes, the Mother of Hope.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 4/12/2006, righe 35, parole 532)
