What Is Advent?

Advent is a four-week season in the Church calendar dedicated to anticipating the arrival, or “advent,” of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Messiah and King. Christians celebrate this time with reflections on hope, peace, love, and joy. What Does Advent Mean? Advent means “arrival” and signifies the start of an event or the arrival of a person. Advent refers to a four-week season of remembering and celebrating the arrival of Jesus on Earth. It’s a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth and join in the anticipation of when he will come again to reunite Heaven and Earth once and for all. Why Is Advent Important? Advent can be a simple and fun tradition of counting down to Christmas. But Advent can also be a time of meditation and prayer that anticipates the “coming of Christ” from three different perspectives: the physical nativity in Bethlehem, the reception of Christ in the heart of the believer, and the eschatological Second Coming. Marcus Borg on Advent: Christmas matters for Christians because Jesus matters for Christians. And Jesus’ message was about the coming of the Kingdom of God. It was about the transformation of this world into a different kind of world. It was about the downfall of domination systems and the birth of a world of justice and peace. Of course, the Kingdom of God is also about our individual transformation through loving the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and strength. It is about our transformation and the transformation of the world. How will we observe Advent? Instead of leaving things to chance, why don’t we create for ourselves a daily prayer and journaling practice designed to prepare ourselves spiritually for Christmas?