First Sunday of Advent: Woken at Advent
Advent means arrival. The three and a half to four weeks of Advent, coming in mid-winter when much of
nature is hibernating, is a prolonged call to ‘wake up’; to the reality of God. God is ‘unreal’ for many today.
This time of awakening culminates at Christmas when Christians wake up to the arrival of God in human
form on earth. A story from the East goes like this. ‘Abbot, what has God’s wisdom taught you? Did you become
divine?’ ‘Not at all.’ ‘Did you become a saint?’ ‘No, as you can clearly see.’ ‘What then O Abbot?’ ‘I became awake!’
The Abbot might have been reading this gospel where Jesus calls half a dozen times in one chapter to wake
up and be watchful and alert.
‘Most people are half asleep or living in a world
of lies and illusions’ says Dominican
theologian Albert Nolan. ‘There’s a strong
movement today throughout Christianity of
returning to the contemplative tradition to
which a growing number of people are drawn.
Contemplation is described today as a form of
awareness or consciousness. It’s the experience
of waking up to reality, and having a deeper
consciousness of the presence of God in everything’ (1). Bernard McGinn the renowned scholar of Christian
spirituality defines it as ‘the transformation of consciousness through an encounter with God’ (2).
The Advent scriptures are designed to lead us to immersion in the great mystery of who Jesus is - the
mystery of God, the mystery of life, the mysteries of our faith. The Advent figure of the great prophet Isaiah
awakens us to hope and trust and confidence in God. Waking up to the message dissolves the stresses and
strains of life. We discover that the thoughts, plans, fears, resentments, conflicts and desires that often stalk
our heads and hearts tone down; storms give way to the calm waters of that inner peace so much desired by
people today. Waking up to the mystery of Jesus Christ is the fruit of much reflection and quiet centering
prayer, and allowing ourselves to be imbued with the sacred scriptures.
‘Advent reminds us that God’s ways are not our own. It asks us to take a realistic look at who we are,
people in need of God’s grace - people who need to be sure of God’s approval. In this season, we start all
over again to be reminded of the good news that our hope is in Jesus Christ’ (3).
Fr. QQ - 25/11/2020
(1) Albert Nolan, HOPE IN AN AGE OF DESPAIR, p. 26
(2) Bernard McGinn, THE MYSTICAL THOUGHT OF MEISTER ECKHART: THE
MAN FROM WHOM GOD HID NOTHING
(3) Kathleen Norris, THIS DAY (Dec 2017), p. 43
Image: liturgytools.net
First Sunday of Advent: Woken at
Advent
Advent means arrival. The three and a half to four
weeks of Advent, coming in mid-winter when much of
nature is hibernating, is a prolonged call to ‘wake up’;
to the reality of God. God is ‘unreal’ for many today.
This time of awakening culminates at Christmas when
Christians wake up to the arrival of God in human form
on earth. A story from the East goes like this. ‘Abbot,
what has God’s wisdom taught you? Did you become
divine?’ ‘Not at all.’ ‘Did you become a saint?’ ‘No, as you
can clearly see.’ ‘What then O Abbot?’ ‘I became awake!’ The
Abbot might have been reading this gospel where Jesus
calls half a dozen times in one chapter to wake up and
be watchful and alert.
‘Most people are half asleep or living in a world of lies
and illusions’ says Dominican theologian Albert
Nolan. ‘There’s a strong movement today throughout
Christianity of returning to the contemplative tradition
to which a growing number of people are drawn.
Contemplation is described today as a form of
awareness or consciousness. It’s the experience of
waking up to reality, and having a deeper
consciousness of the presence of God in everything’ (1).
Bernard McGinn the renowned scholar of Christian
spirituality defines it as ‘the transformation of
consciousness through an encounter with God’ (2).
The Advent scriptures are designed to lead us to
immersion in the great mystery of who Jesus is - the
mystery of God, the mystery of life, the mysteries of our
faith. The Advent figure of the great prophet Isaiah
awakens us to hope and trust and confidence in God.
Waking up to the message dissolves the stresses and
strains of life. We discover that the thoughts, plans,
fears, resentments, conflicts and desires that often stalk
our heads and hearts tone down; storms give way to the
calm waters of that inner peace so much desired by
people today. Waking up to the mystery of Jesus Christ
is the fruit of much reflection and quiet centering
prayer, and allowing ourselves to be imbued with the
sacred scriptures.
‘Advent reminds us that God’s ways are not our own. It
asks us to take a realistic look at who we are, people in
need of God’s grace - people who need to be sure of
God’s approval. In this season, we start all over again to
be reminded of the good news that our hope is in Jesus
Christ’ (3).
Fr. QQ - 25/11/2020
(1) Albert Nolan, HOPE IN AN AGE OF DESPAIR, p.
26
(2) Bernard McGinn, THE MYSTICAL THOUGHT OF
MEISTER ECKHART: THE
MAN FROM WHOM GOD HID NOTHING
(3) Kathleen Norris, THIS DAY (Dec 2017), p. 43
Image: liturgytools.net
