The Roman rite, like some other rites of the Catholic church has five seasons of the liturgical year, which include the Advent, the Christmas, the Lent, the Easter and the Ordinary time of the year. The advent which commences these seasons of the year is a pious period of preparation for the “arrival” of the Lord at his incarnation, known as the Christmas (First coming) as well as his eschatological coming at the Parousia, (Second Coming). Advent comes from the Latin word adventus(i), which means “coming” or "arrival." It translates also to the Greek word parousia. Church historians posit that during the fourth and fifth centuries in Spain and Gaul (majorly Western Europe of today), advent was a season of preparation for baptism of new converts, in which, Christians would spend 40 days in fasting, penance and prayer to prepare. Originally, there was little connection between advent and Christmas. But by the sixth century, however, Roman Christians had tied advent to the coming of Christ. The “coming” they had in mind here was not Christ’s first coming (at nativity), but his second coming (in eschatology). The link between advent and Christmas only came in the Middle Ages.  

Advent is a season of hope and waiting for salvation of humankind as prophesied by prophet Isaiah: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and ye shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:4). At advent, Christian worship focuses on the core practices of hope, peace, joy, and love, which are celebrated in various ways by different Christian denominations. These virtues are celebrated through the word of God or the liturgical readings in the four weeks of advent and the sacramental rites.  The liturgical readings of advent start from passages about Christ’s return in judgment to passages on the expectation of the coming Messiah. Readings of first Sundays often focus on Christian hope in God. The second Sunday readings reflect on peace through conversion. The third Sunday, which is called Gaudette Sunday (the Sunday of joy), center on the joy of the coming messiah as captured in the words of Zephania: Shout for Joy, O daughter of Zion! (Zeph 3: 14-18a). The fourth Sunday readings lead to the love of God by introducing the nativity narratives, often recounting our Blessed Mother’s visitation to Elisabeth (Luke 1: 39-45).  

The sacramental celebrations of advent revolve around the joyful mystery of the coming of Christ in tripartite liturgical intentions: the physical nativity in Bethlehem, the reception of Christ in every believer’s heart and the eschatology of his second coming (which is certain, but whose time is uncertain). Traditions vary in the relative duration and modes of celebration among the various liturgical rites of the church. For instance, in the Roman rite, advent liturgy commences with the First Vespers (Evening prayer 1) of the Sunday that falls on or closest to November 30th (St. Andrew’s Day) and ends before First Vespers (Evening prayer 1 of December 24) of Christmas day(ii). The first day of advent begins the liturgical year, in the different rites of the church.  

The spiritual reason of the season of advent is on the ancient tradition of Isreal waiting on the Lord in her pilgrimage. Like the old Isreal in exile, the church waits and hopes in prayerful expectations for the coming and restoration of the Messiah (Jer 30:18-22). The Old Israel looked back to God’s redemptive acts in setting them free from the Egyptian bondage, and on that basis hopes that he comes to act for them again in the exilic time. In advent, we, the new Isreal look back to the first coming of Christ (Incarnation) and his redemptive acts and hope on his mercy and salvation when he comes again (Parousia). The advent is a tradition of the church in the present age, waiting for the second coming of Christ in the age to come, to consummate the eternal kingdom (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2). It is, therefore, a season of both anticipation and remembrance.  

In the Ambrosian rite and the Mozarabic rite, advent begins on the sixth Sunday before Christmas, that is, Sunday after the St. Martin’s Day on November 11th(iii). In the diocese of Tours until sixth century, fasting, often called the St. Martin’s Lent or Nativity Fast is associated with advent. St. Gregory of Tours in this line, writes that the celebration of advent began in the fifth century when the Bishop Perpetuus directed that starting with the St. Martin’s Day, on November 11th until Christmas, one fasts three times per week. Thus, advent was sometimes named "Lent of St. Martin"(iv). The liturgy of advent remained unchanged until the Second Vatican Council when minor changes were introduced to differentiate the spirit of Lent from that of advent, emphasizing advent as a season of hope for Christ's First coming now and as a promise of his Second Coming, later. 

The liturgical color of the advent is purple which signifies hope and expectations. This color applies to the vestments, the antependia, the altar, the tabernacle and other liturgical objects in the season. There is also the practice of lighting candles of the advent wreath(v). This wreath has four candles, each representing one of the four weeks of advent, as well as the successive stages of salvation. They also represent the different Christian virtues in practice at the season: Hope (Is: 9), Peace (Is: 40), Joy (Mt: 2), and Love (Jn1:3). On the third Sunday of advent, the Gaudete Sunday, a rose candle may be lighted to symbolize the Christian joy which is properly celebrated on that day(vi). The season is equally marked by Christian songs of worship (Carols) and festival of Nine Lessons (readings) celebrated on the Eve or days prior to the Christmas, which recall the account of the Fall of humanity, the Promise of a Messiah by the prophets and the Birth of Christ, who is the fulfilment of the prophecies(vii). The Christmas crib or nativity scene (presepio) form part of the significant symbols of this season(viii). Other symbols and signs of the advent season include the Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, lighting the Christingle, Christmas jingles, etc. These are done to inspire the spirituality of the season and lift the faithful up in spirit to welcome Christ in his coming. 

Though the advent is formally a Christian season, it might analogically be applied to other significant preparations in our lives. As Pope Benedict XV1 points out:  

Advent is particularly suited to being a season lived in communion with all those who—and thanks be to God they are numerous — hope for a more just and a more fraternal world. In this commitment to justice, people of every nationality and culture, believers and non-believers, can to a certain extent meet. Indeed, they are all inspired by a common desire, even if their motivations are different, for a future of justice and peace(ix).  

Thus, the just commitment of people of “every nationality and culture,” to goodness and holiness, equally constitute the advent/preparation for the Gospel of Christ (prepaeratio evangelica). But in whichever culture or faith the advent might be applied, it is always identified with acts of piety, prayerfulness, conversion, charity, solemnity and sanctity of life.   

In advent, we live in the shadow of God’s transcendental grace, by faith, which transforms our originating value from man and all material human good to divine light and love, where the human good becomes absorbed in an all-encompassing good(x). Advent is not a season that ceases with the liturgical calendar and colors. Though the Christmas formally closes the advent season in our liturgical calendar, it does not close the spirituality of the truth and mystery that command us daily, to keep on with the preparation for the coming of Christ. This requires that we must hold on to and preserve the spiritual habits that accompany the advent, even after the season. The commitment to prayer and reconciliation, the acts of charity, the consciousness of our sacredness, the joy of living in God’s hope and love etc. should not end with the change of colors of purple and December 24th timeline. Advent should be a continuous season of preparation for divine grace in our daily lives, because every day of our life is a day of waiting for the coming of the Lord, either in his daily incarnation in the Eucharistic presence or his second coming on the parousia. 

End Notes:

 (i) Adventus is the past participle stem of the verb advenire which means “to arrive at,” “to come to,” “to reach”.
(ii) “Liturgical Notes for Advent.” USCCB.org. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
(iii) Philip H. Pfatteicher. Journey into the Heart of God: Living the Liturgical Year (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013).
(iv) St. Gregory, Bishop of Tours, (1836). Histoire Ecclésiastique des Francs, Revue et Collationnée (Ecclesiastical History of the French, Reviewed and Collated), translated by Taranne J. Guadet.
(v) Teddy Colbert. The Living Wreath (Gibbs Smith,1996).
(vi) Instituto Generalis Missalis Romani (General Instruction of the Roman Missal), 1969.
(vii) “Nine Lessons and Carols.” www.trurocathedral.org.uk.
(viii) R. Berliner. The Origins of the Creche (Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 30, 1946), 251.
(ix) Pope Benedict XI. “Homily in Celebration of the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent.” Dec. 2, 2006.
(x) Cf. Bernard Lonergan. Method in Theology (Toronto: University of Toronto Press,1972), 116.