Dear friends of Albany Greenhithe Parish
This Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent and the beginning of a new Church year, Year C. Our Gospel readings for this new year will primarily be from the Gospel of Luke.
As you may know, “Advent” (the Latin word adventus) means “coming,” and this is the time of preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus. People often forget that there are two parts to this season. Part one (until 16th Dec) looks to the future. Part 2 (17th to 24th) looks to the past. Both help us to live in faith in the present.
The beginning of Advent asks us to look to the future for the second coming of Christ. This part of Advent has little to do with remembering the Christ child born in Bethlehem. During this time, we primarily recall the stories of our ancestors in faith who lived with such expectations and eventually saw them fulfilled when Jesus was born. We are not waiting for the birth of a Saviour. He is already born into our world at that first Christmas! During Advent, the stories of our ancestors become our own story. We remember these great stories because they give us hope today as we now prepare for the Second Coming of Christ.
In the second part of Advent, we recall the first coming of God in flesh through the birth of Christ. This preparation teaches us an important lesson about Christmas. God was born into our world and took on our flesh. This incarnation continues to unfold in our current time and place. Christmas does not simply remember a past event as if it were over and done with. Christmas encourages us to live in hope and faith that God will continue to enter our world and bring about God’s reign.
As Advent begins, let us live in joyful and spiritual expectation for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Yukiko
