Liturgy Lesson for the Second Sunday in Advent: Real Adventus

December 5, 2008

Over the centuries, the liturgy of the Church has developed spirituality particularly for Christians during Advent. Both the Sunday liturgies and the daily Scripture readings direct our journey into the Advent experience of the mystery of Christ. Our parents in the faith have chosen Scriptures to accent three Advents: the Advent of Christ coming into our lives, the Advent of Christ’s physical birth, and the Advent of his second coming at the history’s end. In all these Advent devotions, we’re called to a vital, personal encounter with Christ through the Holy Ghost—not just “filling our squares” for God. To achieve this, we should, then, call on the Holy Ghost to empower our growth in the same manner…moving past just the bare essentials of simply accepting Christ as Savior, to being actually reborn in victorious lives, as the new creatures He was born to make us, and finally, growing in the Spirit and making His Kingdom purpose first in our lives, so, at the Day of His Second Coming, we may be found to be faithful servants about our Master’s business. That is real Adventus—the coming of our new lives, past the first works of repentance, to lives changed by, then dedicated to His Kingdom. If we really seek lives changed and lived this way, we need not fear what our Lord will tell us on the Great Day of Judgment—He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Posted by Father Chip | Filed Under Liturgy Lessons