Today, the First Sunday of Advent, is the beginning of the new Liturgical Year, and the Church fixes our attention not so much on the First Coming of Christ in the manger at Bethlehem, but on His Second Coming in glory at the end of time. Only later on in Advent do we begin to focus on that First Coming when He was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the stable of Bethlehem. So we could say Advent is a time of two comings, but both are invitations to “wakefulness.”

St Paul gives it to us very clearly in today’s Second Reading from his letter to the Romans (13:11-14). “The hour has come for you to wake from sleep … the night is far gone; the day is at hand.” The “day” he speaks of here is the Day of the Lord; in other words, His Second Coming as Judge at the end of time. Then Paul urges us to “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” It was at our Baptism that we first became children of the light. The light of Christ’s Resurrection was poured into our souls, and we became heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. If we’re children of the light, we can’t be living in the shadows, and so Paul is commanding us to reject sins, habits and compromises that dim the light of Christ in us.

And what better way to cast off darkness than by making a good, honest sacramental Confession this Advent. The life of grace in our souls is of the utmost importance, and Confession restores the brightness of Baptismal grace, and equips us to really live as “children of the day” and ensures we are on the path to Heaven. In the rite of Baptism, as the white garment is wrapped around the newly baptised, the priest says, “Receive this white garment. Never let it become stained, so that, when you stand before the judgment seat of Our Lord JESUS Christ, you may have life everlasting.” Confession makes our souls beautiful again and removes the stains of sin.

St Paul concludes the reading today with the heart of the Christian life: “Put on the Lord JESUS Christ.” That’s what Advent is for – polishing up our spiritual armour, sharpening our hope, and keeping our gaze fixed on the One Who is coming – the One Who came at Bethlehem, and the Who will come again in glory. And we must be awake and ready, because as Our Lord tells us in the Gospel today, “you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:37-44). This can refer to His Second Coming, which will be sudden and without warning, and also to the moment of our own death, which likewise comes at an hour we cannot foresee. So in either case we want to be in a state of readiness, fidelity and grace.

Finally, the Advent wreath on which we light an additional candle each Sunday in Advent is not just a decoration. It beautifully reflects our identity as children of light. The evergreen branches symbolise the eternal life given to us in Christ, while the circular shape signifies God’s unending faithfulness. Each candle, lit progressively week by week, pushes back the darkness, and reminds us that the light of Christ is meant to grow within us. As the wreath brightens throughout Advent, so too should our souls, preparing to welcome the Christ Child.

Fr Paul Gillham, IC