Advent is everyday

For the Catholics, there are four liturgical seasons to celebrate every year: Advent season, Christmas season, Ordinary time and Lenten season. I was always told that Jesus Christ is the focus of these seasons of which these can be translated in simpler meanings: waiting for Jesus, the birth of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus and the death and resurrection of Jesus.

As I grow older in my ministry and in life, I learn to believe that these seasons do not happen in a cycle or does not have a fixed pattern. The waiting, birth, and dying of Jesus can happen every day. I truly believe that advent is every day of our lives; that we wait for the birth of Jesus into our hearts every single day.

I myself have been in a long season of advent because for three years now (2020, 2021, and 2022) I have been waiting for Jesus to answer my prayer – one very special prayer. Plus, there are other prayers too that I have been preparing to receive.

Mr. Webster defines advent as the arrival of a notable person, thing or event. On the other hand, the meaning of advent season is limited to four weeks of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

In my life, I consider advent rather everyday and not just a four-week preparation and waiting. My own advent started on February 3, 2020. It has been almost 3 years that I waited for Christ to be born into my heart. Not that He has never been into my heart. But for this singular way of waiting, it has been the longest advent season of my life, it did not last for four weeks but rather has become a three-year season.

While I join my brothers and sisters in waiting for Christ and celebrate with them every Christmas season, my soul, meanwhile, truly longs for Christ. My soul, which is scarred and wounded, longs for Christ to be born into my heart. For the meantime, let me continue waiting. Amen.