Advent 2025: A Season of Longing and Listening
The English word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus Domini, meaning the Coming of the Lord. Most of us understand this to mean Jesus’ presence with us at Christmas as we commemorate and celebrate his birth. The full meaning of Adventus Domini, however embraces Jesus’ birth some 2000 years ago; his presence with us today as well as his return at the end of time. Advent thus becomes a time of preparation not only for the celebration of Jesus’ birth 2000 years ago. It also is a time when we become more aware of Jesus’ presence in our lives today. And it is a time of preparation for his Second Coming at the end of time.
As Christians we believe that Christ’s return in Glory will complete the Messianic Times. The Prophet Isaiah prophesied some 2700 years ago that this will be a time when “they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks;” when “the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;” when “there shall be no more ruin on all my holy Mountain;” when “the steppe and the parched land…will bloom with abundant flowers.”
During Advent we are invited to dream of Isaiah’s perfect world without diseases, disasters, and death; a world where all God’s children and all of creation exist together in perfect harmony. The Season of Advent also asks us to act and invites us to help bring about that harmonious world.
So, let’s sing Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus with full voice and let’s act in ways that will hasten the arrival of that perfect and peaceful world.
Advent: A Season of Waiting
I don’t know very many people who like to wait. Waiting is an exercise in patience and who has time for patience? We have so much to do and so many things to accomplish.
The season of Advent is a season of waiting. We wait with patient longing for the celebration of the Nativity of the Messiah. We also wait in expectation and hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ in glory at the end of time.
The kind of waiting Advent calls for is not passive but rather is intentional and active. It involves a countercultural commitment to slow down and focus on the spiritual character of the season. It is rooted in a commitment to prayer and reflection. It calls us to be intentional about all we do. It requires an openness to God’s will for us. It nurtures and deepens our trust in God’s presence with us. For those who are willing to wait attentively the season of Advent will be fruitful and fulfilling.
Advent in the Domestic Church:
A Blessing for the Lighting of the Second Candle
After someone in the family has lit the first and second candle on the Advent Wreath the prayer begins with the sign of the cross and continues as follows:
Leader: Today we begin the second Week of Advent.
We open our hearts to God’s love
as we prepare to welcome Christ.
The candles of this wreath remind us that
Jesus Christ came to conquer the darkness of sin
and to lead us into his glorious light.
Let us pray that we may always be ready to welcome him.
Leader: You came as herald of the good tidings of God’s salvation:
Lord, come and save us.
All: Lord, come and save us.
Leader: You come to bring forth in us
a rich harvest of justice and peace:
Lord, come and save us.
All: Lord, come and save us.
Priest: You will come to bring to completion
the good work you have begun in us:
Lord, come and save us.
All: Lord, come and save us.
Leader: Let us pray:
Ever-living God, we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ,
whose advent we await.
As we light the second candle of this wreath,
kindle within us the fire of your spirit,
that we may be light shining in darkness.
Enlighten us with your grace,
that we may welcome others as you have welcomed us.
We ask this through the same Christ our Lord
whose coming is certain and whose day draws near.
All: Amen.
The leader ends with the sign of the cross.
The Use of Blessed Straw
The custom of blessing straw originated in France from where it spread to other countries. Straw is blessed at Sunday Mass near the beginning of Advent and is brought home. After the manger has been set up children are invited to add one piece of straw to the manger for every good deed they do. Thus, the children prepare a soft bed of straw for the arrival of the baby Jesus. More importantly, they prepare their heart and soul to welcome Christ.
Preparing for Sunday Eucharist by Reading the Gospel (Matt. 3:1-12)
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Preparing for Sunday Eucharist by Meditating on the Gospel
- What does John’s harsh message to the Pharisees and Sadducees tell us about the nature of true repentance versus superficial sorrow?
- How does the prophecy of preparing the way for the Lord (Isaiah 40:3) relate to our lives today? What does it mean for us to “make straight paths” for Christ?
- Why did Jesus, who was without sin, submit to John’s baptism of repentance? What does it mean for us that Jesus chose to fulfill “all righteousness?”
- How does the final judgment described in this passage impact our understanding of how to live today?
- What are the “fruits” of repentance that Jesus calls for, and how do we produce them in our lives?
- May the Advent Season be a spiritual blessing to us all.
Johan van Parys, PhD
Managing Director of Ministries/ Director of Liturgy & Sacred Arts