Advent: the meaning and depth of this word

“Dad, Mom, Christmas is coming soon! But what does Advent mean?”

Advent precedes Christmas and marks four weeks of preparation, both external and internal: we prepare the nativity scene, decorate the tree, but above all, we prepare our hearts to welcome Christ. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the meaning of the word Advent so that we can share and experience the depth of this liturgical season with our children in a way that is appropriate for their age.

This period of waiting has its roots in the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” itself derived from the Greek parousia; terms used in ancient times to refer to the arrival of a king or god honored by a triumphal procession. Thus, from its origin, the word carries a sense of solemnity: that of the coming of a glorious being. For us Christians, this coming is that of Christ, the humble King and Savior of the world. In the Bible, the word parousia theologically refers to the coming of Christ in his triumphal procession at the end of time.

So in this liturgical season of Advent, we are not preparing for just anyone’s coming!

There is not just one coming of Christ, but three! St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in his magnificent sermons, helps us to contemplate this mystery. He highlights this coming in three forms:

• He will come in the future, in his glory, to lead us to the fullness of eternal life.

• He came in the past, in Bethlehem, when he became man for our salvation.

• He comes in the present, in the secret of our souls, through his grace and love.

Of these three comings, Advent invites us to contemplate more particularly the coming in the present. It requires us to listen with our hearts in order to recognize the subtle signs of God’s presence in our lives. While this presence is not always obvious, it is illuminated by the light of the other two comings. Indeed, we end Advent with Christmas, the past guaranteeing that Christ has already come. And we begin Advent with the promise that he will come again in the future.

By meditating on both, we learn to recognize the coming of Christ in the present, often discreet but very real. As St. Bernard says: “Christ may well come a thousand times in the flesh of the Virgin Mary, but if he does not come in you today, he has become man in vain.”

These three comings are therefore not separate: they shed light on each other. And this is what is so sublime: ultimately, there is only the one eternal coming of Christ! It is within this one coming that the other three comings—past, present, and future—are in fact contained. It is at the same time that Christ comes in the flesh, at the same time that he comes into our souls, and at the same time that he will return in glory.

Because God is eternal, is beyond time, he overlooks time: “In your sight, a thousand years are like a day.” Ps 89 (90) 

So let us live this time as a family, not as a countdown, but as a spiritual experience. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.” Revelation 3:20