Advent; a season of preparation and recollection

By Margaret Ogbebor SSMA 

In the Catholic Church, the feast of  “Christ the King” is a big celebration where we as Catholics proclaim that Jesus is the king of the Universe. The celebration includes Eucharistic procession marked by dancing, singing, praying (Rosary and other spontaneous prayers), exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, among others. This feast marks the end of the ordinary time in the church’s calendar and ushers us into a new liturgical year which begins with the Advent Season.

Advent season is a period of recollection, stock taking, preparation and reflection for the great solemnity of Christmas (the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ). It is a season of sober recollection whereby we try our best to prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts at Christmas. In Isaiah 40:3 which says “Prepare the way for the Lord, makes his path straight,” Isaiah calls us to a season of deeper recollection in order to identify those obstacles that may prevent us from seeing the Lord or on the other hand prevents the Lord from coming to us. The Lord cannot dwell in a place that is unclean. 

Advent is a period of stock taking, of seeing our weaknesses and trying to make amends. Many a time we focus more on the physical (external) aspect of the celebration of Christmas but the Church  in her wisdom wants us to look into our lives as individuals,  as families and as a church. It is a season of commitment to our prayer life; more often than not we are always busy with our daily activities putting aside “the Lord of the work”. Some of us are twenty-four (24) hours on the move, no time for rest, no time to read the Bible, no time for prayers among others. This season calls us to slow down loosen our tight schedules and do away with unnecessary excuses. 

As Christians, the Lord’s coming is a thing of great joy, a period that is worth celebrating; this is the more reason why we need to prepare very well for His coming. Advent also calls us to prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in today’s world. It is a spiritual preparation that involves prayers, fasting and repentance in anticipation for the joy to come. It is a season that reminds us of the first coming of Christ to earth as a child, his presence among us in the holy Eucharist and also in preparation and anticipation of his final coming at the end of the age.

Advent is relatively a short period (4 weeks) and we can sometime miss out the main point of the season because of the rush to participate in the externalities of Christmas. Each Sunday introduces the week and in the process a candle from the advent wreath is lit, assuring us of the awaiting joy that is to come. On the third Sunday of advent, the “Gaudete” candle is lit to remind us of the joy that the world experienced and will experience at the birth of Jesus as well as the joy that the faithful have reached in the midpoint of advent.

However, in our distracted world, recollection or reflection has an enemy and the chief enemy of reflection, recollection and preparation is DISTRACTION. This has become a major part of our lifestyle and it seems to come on like a flood during the holidays (weakness in prayer). It takes great determination to jump out of this polluted stream and find a new, cleaner and clearer space. Having a recollected heart that enters readily into prayer is not something we can do easily. Recollection is not a mechanical activity; it is deeply rooted in emptiness, stillness and openness. 

A recollected heart is cultivated with time and with sincere efforts. It is a hidden gift from God that comes fully alive in a disposition of patience, practice, repetition of pious activities, intimacy with God and humility. As Christians, there is no reason why the season of advent cannot assume the similar atmosphere like that of Lent that is, stripping ourselves of undue attachments, bad habits, character and behaviours that prevent us from seeing and seeking the face of our God. “Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart” Psalm 34:14 admonishes us, calling us to do away with our negative attitudes and manners that deprive us from the part of holiness. Holiness of life bring about peace because  through it we please God; when we try out best to do God’s will our hearts always finds joy, the joy no one can give.

Furthermore the prophet Joel echoes, “But even now says the Lord, repent sincerely and return to me with fasting and weeping and mourning. Let your broken heart show your sorrow, tearing your clothes is not enough come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy, He is patient and keeps His promise, He is always ready to forgive and not punish (Joel 2 :12-13). As Christians, we are called to a life of sincere repentance, fasting and mourning. The Lord wants us during this season to purify the heart (internal) and clear our consciences from every guilt and sin. This type of sacrifice should not be that of eye-service but the one that comes from the heart. Prophet Joel warns us against the unnecessary attentions we pay to our preparations for Christmas. Some pay more attention to travelling, making different schedules of various places of interest they wish to visit within and outside the  country. They see these journeys  as the ultimate way of celebrating Christmas, some may not have enough money to prepare for Christmas, they go to the extent of borrowing all because they are preparing for Christmas. Others purchase new cars, park to new apartment, buy new clothes; some persons take their time to engage themselves only on merry-making because they feel that by so doing they are preparing for Christmas. But preparing for Christmas is beyond travelling, borrowing of money, merry-making and parties, among others. Our preparation should not be based on materials things alone, it should involve spiritual exercises.  

The Lord is always waiting for us to return especially at this season of preparation for his coming. The period of advent helps us as Christians to deepen our relationship with God. Going back to “the recollected heart,” advent season prepares us for a new birth of our Lord Jesus Christ which now happens in the hearts of men not in a geographical place. To prepare our hearts, we are called to look at those special areas of our lives that we want the light of Christ to penetrate so that we can become the people the Lord really wants us to be. There is always a bright light at the end of every tunnel. So also, after our mortification, prayer and meditation, there is a greater joy that will fill our hearts. So, let us with recollected hearts and deep commitment to holiness, with our pious activities, get ourselves ready to welcome the Lord Jesus.

Sr Margret Ogbebor SSMA is a Catholic Nun, working in the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. She is the Head Teacher of St Martin de Porres Nursery and Primary School Katsina. [email protected]