Reflections on the Third of Advent

By Mgr Jan Jaworski

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice…the Lord is at hand (Ph 4:4-5).

With these words, the Church turns to us during Advent to show us that the Lord is at hand. The Church changes the purple of penance and sadness into the roses of rejoicing. From the distance of millennia, from the mountain of antiquities, the prophet Isaiah speaks to us.

Isaiah was one of the most prominent prophets of the Old Testament. He was born some 770 years BC in Jerusalem, where he worked – we know about this from the numerous appeals directed to the citizens of the capital. An aristocrat, he was immensely cultured.   Naturally talented, he had profound academic qualities and ruled masterfully with the pen. His usage of the classic Hebrew language is unsurpassed in the whole prophetical literature. The significant role which Isaiah fulfilled in the 40-year-long history of Israel earned him the title: Prince of the Prophets. He was also given the title “Messianic Prophet”.

Advent makes us aware of the dynamic character of human life, to which Christianity adds eschatological dimensions. I am the Lord your God, your Saviour (cf Is 43,:3). These words inspire us on the road of life – persevere patiently, brothers, until the Lord comes. The farmer waits persistently for the precious yield of the earth, until the rain falls. The waiting here is not in vain. The farmer works, but that work includes the hope of bearing fruit. So it is in our lives. Life is waiting for that final meeting, with Christ. While we live here on earth, this meeting is still before us.

During Advent our thoughts turn towards the coming of Christ at Christmas. We remember two joyful mysteries which preceded Christmas. The prayer of the Church begins with the motto “The Lord is at hand”. This truth sets the tone of rejoicing to the Holy Mass.

As the people of Israel were liberated from the Babylon slavery, so we will become liberated from our darkness. St John the Baptist assures us that Christ has already come among us. Present in the Eucharist, he prepares us for the great graces on the occasion of the coming feast.

The various liturgical responses during Advent are dominated by joy, full of hope. “Rejoice in the Lord”, “Rejoice Jerusalem with great joy, because the great Redeemer is coming to You”, and in the litany to All Saints: “Through Your coming – Redeem us, Lord”. There is also the pressing call: “Come Lord, do not hesitate in this”.

The Apocalypse concludes the Holy Scripture with the words: “Come, Lord Jesus”. These words express the appeasement of penance which is achieved during Advent, as well as the joy which dominates this season. Christ arrives in the world among the poor, to whom the Gospel is proclaimed. Christ comes to those such as the Bethlehem shepherds, to the unwanted children, to the elderly confined to old-age homes, to those for whom life itself does not bring comfort.

This is the third in a series of articles Mgr Jan Jaworski wrote for The Southern Cross, completed just a few days before his death on October 8.