The Prelude to the Great Mystery of the Incarnation: Reflection on the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Beloved,
Happy Advent! This holy season always fills me with joy and
awe at the same time. I am joyful because of what comes after
advent, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. I am
however awed at the thought of what this entails on the part of
God. I consider myself very unworthy of the love which advent
signals. How do I explain that the God of the Universe, whom
the heavens and the earth cannot contain, choses to dwell
among us and in our hearts? I tremble at the thought of the
second coming of Christ at the end of time to judge the world.
For this reason, I am grateful that the Church gives us this
season to prepare our hearts for that day and hour which no
one, neither the angels, nor the Son knows (Matthew 24:36;
Mark 13:32)

The season of advent speaks to me of the Love the Father has
for all his creatures. Advent is the prelude to the great mystery
of the Incarnation. In sending his Son Jesus Christ into the
world, the Father made visible his eternal will to come to us,
who are unable to ascend to him on our own. Advent helps us
to prepare for the great exchange that took place once and for
all, when the transcendent God took on human nature and
became immanent so that we can be taken into the community
of love that is the Blessed Trinity. God became man in order
that man may become God. This is a mystery too big for my
frail mind.

The gap between God and humans, between heaven and earth,
is infinite; and God’s transcendence would crush us if not
mediated. The Incarnation was therefore God’s way of bridging
the infinite gap between heaven and earth. It was the wedding
between the eternal and temporal orders. God reached out to
us, who are most undeserving, yet loved infinitely. This is why
the season of Advent should evoke a sense of awe and
gratitude. We should marvel at the love in the heart of the
Father, that he loves us regardless of our constant rebellion
against divine love. And this love has no limits.

I would like to suggest a few practices to assist you with your
advent preparation for the coming of Christ.

1. Take some time during this Advent to make a good
confession and repent of all known sin. Our Advent Penance
Service is December 19 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Several
priests will be in the church for individual confessions.
Forgive any known hurts and ask forgiveness from those you
have offended.

2. Read and meditate on one chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel each
day.

3. Spend at least one hour each week in adoration before Jesus
in the Blessed Sacrament.

4. Do a quick scan of your closet and give away clothes you no
longer wear, or have not worn for some time, to people who
might be in need due to the cold weather, or because they
cannot afford it. If we are sincere, we do not need most of what
we have.

5. We are grateful to the family who have generously donated
Holy Moments, a book by Matthew Kelly for our parishioners’
spiritual growth during advent and Christmas. May God bless
them for their kindness. Please take one copy per family and
read it together.

6. Pray the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena daily with your
family (beginning from the Feast of St. Andrew, November 30th
until Christmas Day, December 25th). The Novena prayer is
traditionally said 15 times each day. The prayer can be found
below:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God
was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in
Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to
hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our
Savior Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!