What is Advent?
The season of Advent is about hope. It is not just hope for a better day or hope for the lessening of pain and suffering, although that is certainly a significant part of it. It is more about hope that human existence has meaning and possibility beyond our present experiences, a hope that the limits of our lives are not nearly as narrow as we experience them to be. It is not that we have possibility in ourselves, but that God is a God of new things and so all things are possible (Isa 42:9, Mt 19:26, Mk 14:36)
Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!
Advent Adoration
On Wednesdays in Advent, beginning 7 December, there will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 12:30 PM-7:00 PM. A Holy Hour with confessions will begin at 6:00 PM and there will be night prayer and Benediction at 6:45 PM. A sign-up sheet for the incredible task of sitting with our Lord is located in the back of the church.
Remember that Advent is an important time of preparation for the coming of our Lord so make a family Holy Hour and be sure to schedule some quiet time for reflection!
