Understanding our Advent Theme
The 2011 PARISH ADVENT THEME:
“The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed”
Click here to view Advent Theme as pdf
Reflections on the Theme
Advent and Christmas is the time of the turning of the year. During this time the days go from getting shorter to
getting longer. The sun turns in the sky and light increases. Our focus moves from the end of all things to new
beginnings. In Liturgy we move from preparation for the coming of God to rejoicing that he is made manifest to
us in the person of Jesus, a human child born on this earth, destined for a horrific and cruel death yet ultimately
becoming our light and our salvation through his resurrection. From darkness to light, from despair to hope,
from death to new life: the Day of Promise! That is what this time of the year represents.
In these times it is easy to be discouraged, demoralized, depressed, despairing. Greed and corruption in our
political and financial systems have led to unemployment, economic ruin, relative destitution and an uncertain
future for millions. Anxiety for our families and our future is a daily reality. But the message in the scriptures is
very clear. There is a greater reality, a greater hope for those who see with eyes of faith. In our preoccupation
with this world we too easily forget that our Lord is bigger and stronger than those worries and fears. What are
they to the One who saved Israel in the desert, who came to Mary and bestowed upon us the gift of his Son,
Jesus Christ, and who raised him up to eternal life?
Additionally, this season, we bid farewell to some of the prayers we have known at Mass for over 40 years, and
with many stumbles and mistakes, we will learn new words. Awkward though this change may be we proceed
with faith that these efforts will also bear fruit, that the glory of the Lord will be revealed here too, through the
action of our prayers and our sacrifice. Like the season, the past will die away making room for new growth.
This winter, this season, let us take these Advent scriptures to heart, and despite all the trials of daily life let us
strive to be joyful, to go rejoicing into God’s house, to climb the holy mountain and follow our Lord upon the
straightened path. As a people, let us prepare for the passing of the dark winter, and journey to a place that is
brighter, better and more glorious than we can possibly imagine, where the glory of God will be revealed to all
in Father, Son and Spirit, and all the hosts of heaven.
Christmas: For A Child Is Born To Us, A Son Is Given Us ACTIVITIES AND SUGGESTIONS Any arts & crafts activity related to light vs. darkness, especially surrounding the tradition of the Jesse Tree, which we will use in Church this year. The meaning of Advent is closely related to the seasons of Northern climates – it is no accident that Christmas takes place close to the Winter Solstice . . Why is the image of making God’s pathways straight significant? Remember, in Jesus’ day there were no cars or planes. Everyone walked, and every hill, valley and bend in the road made a journey longer and/or more difficult . . . This year, the weekly themes focus on the psalms for each week. Look them up and research their meaning. The Psalms are human prayers, made to God, filled with human emotion and longing, as opposed to most other scriptures which are Another central theme of Advent is joyful waiting and anticipation. Any activity that encompasses this idea of waiting is a good idea. The world waited for Christ to come as Messiah – we still wait for his return at the end of time! The “waiting” Emphasize the fact that the Advent/Christmas Season in the Church lasts (this year) from Nov. 28th all the way to January 9th (Feast of the Baptism of the Lord) – for us it does not get thrown in the dumpster with the Christmas Tree on Dec. 26th! A Joyful Advent And A Merry Christmas!
Week 1: We are the clay, and you are the potter
We are formed by God, as a potter forms an object from humble clay. Yet for us it is a little different because
we are not inanimate – we have a choice whether we will allow ourselves to be formed by God or not. We also
have a choice as to how we view the circumstances of our lives. Are our struggles curses, or are they
opportunities for growth and faith? The choice in how we view things requires a certain alertness on our part –
we need the wisdom and the presence of mind to recognize that what happens in our lives are moments when
we can decide to BE clay, and to allow God to mold us. This weekend we will commence using the new
English translation – something the Church views as important because the words we pray also form us and
mold us in our faith. So – do we see them as an inconvenience or an intrusion, or do we have faith that the Holy
Spirit is alive in the Church, once again giving us the choice to BE clay in the hands of the potter . . .
Week 2: In his arms he gathers the lambs
The second reading today says: “Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a
thousand years and a thousand years is like one day”. We look around as masters of our world, confident in our
dominion and in our comprehension of our place in the fabric of human society. Yet in reality we are just
pebbles in a vast ocean of time and space beyond our comprehension. Only with God do we have a truly
meaningful compass, a point of reference. The God of the Cosmos sent us his Son, Jesus Christ – the divine
came to earth to connect us with the transcendent God – a God who cares for his creatures, who gathers us in
his arms like lambs. At the end of time, a time beyond our imagination, we have faith that we will finally see
God, revealed in all his cosmic glory as the Creator and Ruler of the Universe.
Now is the time to prepare for that glorious day.
St. Paul says to the Thessalonians (and by extension to us): “May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and
may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Once we make that choice to prepare ourselves for the coming glory of God, God in turn prepares us by helping
us recognize the things in our lives that can form us for that day. The psalm today is actually a ‘Gospel
Canticle’ – the Canticle of Mary also known as the ‘Magnificat’ sung by Mary after the angel came to her to tell
her that she was with child. It is so called because of the original Latin text that more literally translates as “My
soul magnifies the Lord”. The soul of a holy person magnifies the Lord in the world. Likewise does God
magnify that person.
Even after we have acquiesced to the will of God (as Mary did), God continues to work in us to help us grow in
holiness. His glory is revealed through us and our works, helping prepare the whole world for when he comes
again at the end of time . . .
Week 4: The Holy Spirit will come upon you
These are some of the words that the angel spoke to Mary at the Annunciation. Only because of the power of
God could the Virgin Mary be anything more than a simple peasant girl. Only through the power of God could
she, a virgin, give birth to the Son of God. Likewise, only through the power of God and the Holy Spirit can
Jesus come into our lives and make us ready for Salvation.
During these weeks we have seen how we are but clay in the hands of the Potter; lambs in the arms of the
Shepherd; ‘holy’ only through the power of God, children of God only through the power of the Spirit. We are
helpless pebbles in the ocean of time, unable to save ourselves by our own efforts. Only by the freely-given
grace of Father, Son and Spirit can we hope to be saved, when at the end of time, “The glory of the Lord shall
be revealed”.
All we have to do is accept it!
understood as “:the Word of God”. There is not a human emotion that is not present somewhere in the psalms. How do these particular psalms relate to this Advent season – why might they have been chosen?
theme can also be related to the fact that in our consumer culture we don’t wait – we have lost sight of the season of Advent. Christmas carols are heard continually in the Malls, Santa Claus is everywhere!
