For the longest time I figured Advent meant “to wait.” Waiting for Christmas to happen, waiting (as a kid) for Santa Claus, waiting for the Christmas tree to go up, waiting for all those presents I hoped to get (and hoping I wasn’t too greedy). Was this the true meaning of Advent?
The Meaning of “Advent”
The root of the word Advent isn’t “to wait,” it’s “to come.” And doesn’t that make more sense, not just from a logistics standpoint but from a spiritual one?
What is Advent?
Advent is the celebration of the coming of Christ. Whether you open windows on an Advent calendar or light candles every evening or look at the Christmas decorations going up around town—unspeakably early it seems to me—you’re celebrating the upcoming arrival of a huge holiday.
When is Advent?
Advent officially starts the Sunday after St. Andrew’s Day or, better put, the first of the four Sundays before Christmas (not counting Christmas). That puts it Sunday, November 27, 2022, and if that seems early, it’s because Christmas is on a Sunday this year, giving us more days to pray, look at Scripture, sing, set up our creche, all those things you do to honor the season.
READ MORE: Our Editors’ Favorite Advent Candles and Holders
Why Celebrate Advent?
Tis the season, indeed, to be jolly. Why? Because we’re looking at not just one coming, one that’s already happened, but another that we wait for with great anticipation and joy, the Second Coming.
God stepped down and came to the earth in the form of Jesus, the very Son of God, born to a humble couple from Nazareth, in even humbler circumstances—as the gospel writer Luke showed us—in a stable with a manger for a bed.
We don’t have to wonder if it’s going to happen because we know it happened already from the accounts we’ve read. Like celebrating your birthday—it’s the Lord’s birthday. You know it’s coming, that red-letter day marked in the calendar, and you’re filled with anticipation of its arrival.
READ MORE: What are the 4 Themes of Advent?
As for Christ’s return and the coming of the kingdom of God, there’s no human certainty of exactly when that’s to happen, only gleaning it from the prophecies in Scripture, and what we do here on earth to further that coming. The sharing of God’s love through warmth, kindness, generosity and service.
The very uncertainty of exactly “when” strikes me as a gift. You read Paul’s letters and can tell he thought it would happen any moment, and it led to his commitment and devotion and witness. Can we not follow his model?
“O come, o come, Emmanuel,” we sing at Advent, all our yearning for that good news. And because Christ did come, our yearning is not empty or vain. It bubbles along with the joy of the season. See that star in someone’s front yard, shining in the darkness. A reminder of the star that did come, guiding the wise men to the Christ Child.
This is the true meaning of Advent. Christmas is coming. And every decorative reminder out there can speak to our hearts, giving cause for hope and joy.
Biblical Advent Prayers
- There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him… (Isaiah 11:1-2)
- You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house…(Matthew 5:14)
- Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! (Psalm 100:2)
- And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
READ MORE: 5 More Advent Prayers for Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love
