Advent: A Season of Waiting

The Advent season is now upon us. Most people around us seem to be hurrying about looking for the perfect gift, putting up decorations, and planning parties and dinners. It is easy to lose sight of the true significance of this season.  Advent is a time of joy and hope, of preparation, and of waiting patiently for the coming of the Lord. It is not only about the past, but also very much about the present and the future. It is helpful to look at the significance of this liturgical season and at the importance of spiritual waiting.

The Meaning of Advent

The term Advent comes from the Latin Adventus which means “coming.” During these four weeks before Christmas, we look forward to both the celebration of our Savior’s birth over 2,000 years ago, and his return in glory at the end of time. We place ourselves alongside the Israelites who prepared for the Savior’s first coming for many centuries.  

Advent is a time of patient waiting and vigilance. It is a time to prepare the way of the Lord, to prepare for his coming. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming (CCC 524).

Just as the people of Israel eagerly awaited the coming of the Messiah, we now await his second coming. During this time, we prepare ourselves, not only to celebrate the coming of Christmas, but also to prepare ourselves to greet him when he returns.  In the fourth century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote of the two comings of Jesus. He stated:

We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom  … At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux speaks of one other “coming” or “advent”, the time of visitation. In this advent, Jesus is now present and active in the lives of each one of us. Advent is the time to prepare our eyes to recognize him when we encounter him in our daily lives, in the sacraments, and in the people we meet.

Biblical Figures Who Waited for God’s Response

Advent is characterized by waiting, by longing to hear God’s response. The Bible is filled with stories of people who must wait for the fulfillment of a promise or who wait for their prayers to be heard.  The patriarch Abraham waited many years for the fulfillment of God’s promise. God had promised him that he would be the father of a great nation, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sands on the seashore. He waited many long years for the fulfillment of this promise. It was fulfilled after he and his wife Sarah were well past childbearing age. The miraculous birth of Isaac was announced by a heavenly visitor. When Sarah doubted that this promise of a son could be fulfilled, the messenger remarked, “Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?” (Genesis 18:14).

Zechariah and Elizabeth found themselves in a similar position. They too had greatly desired a child and had prayed for one intensely. They were described as being “righteous” and “blameless” (Luke 1:6), a pious, respectable couple. In ancient times, childlessness was regarded as a curse or punishment for sin. For a priest, not having children was thought to be a great misfortune because it was considered to be a sign of God’s disfavor.

Their prayers were answered when they were both advanced in age. The birth of their son, John the Baptist, was announced to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel. Zechariah had been chosen by lot to burn incense in the temple, a great honor and high point of his priestly career. This was a rare honor normally granted only once in a lifetime. While he prayed and offered incense, the angel appeared to him and proclaimed, “Your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13). His wife Elizabeth would bear a son to be named John, which means “the Lord has shown favor.” This child would bring them great joy and delight and would have an important ministry. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had waited a lifetime for a child. They had prayed and hoped that God would listen to their prayers. They spent years suffering disappointment, sorrow, and God’s silence. When Gabriel announced this miraculous birth, Zechariah expressed doubts, just as Sarah had. He did not ask for further understanding or an explanation of this great mystery as Mary did. Instead, he asked, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). He asked for a sign to prove that this would happen.  Zechariah lacked faith and trust in God’s promise. He became mute because of his lack of faith, but perhaps this punishment was also an invitation to pray to God in silence. This silence allowed him to reflect on God’s promise and to open his heart to receive this wondrous gift.

Unlike Zechariah, Elizabeth did not doubt when her prayers were finally answered. She trusted God completely. She was open to accepting his will and receiving his gifts. When Mary came to visit her, her baby leapt in her womb at the sound of Mary’s greeting. Through the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth was able to understand that her son leapt for joy because he had just encountered his Lord, Jesus. She was able to understand this because she always remained open to God’s activity in her life, in spite of the many years of waiting and unanswered prayers. She never stopped trusting in God’s promise of unfailing love and care for all of us.

Our Own Period of Waiting

These figures were forced to wait for God to respond to their prayers. God asked them to trust him and to trust in his love for each of them. What may seem like unnecessary waiting to us may be necessary to fulfill his mysterious plan for us and for the world. God lives outside of time and space. As the second letter of Peter states, “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8). As each of these figures show us, if we trust in God’s unfailing love and wait patiently for his response he will give us more than we ever imagined possible.

Advent is a time of vigilance and waiting patiently. It is a time to prepare our hearts, to pray in silence in preparation for Christmas. God’s people had spent centuries longing and waiting for the day of salvation, for the Messiah to come. This same waiting is reflected in this season of Advent. During these weeks, we are invited to look at our lives, at our relationship with God and with each other. It is a time of prayer and renewal, of letting Jesus enter our hearts and change our lives. Let us learn to recognize him among us and welcome him with joy.