“Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deed at his coming, so that gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.”
These are the words of the opening prayer or the collect at Mass for the first Sunday of Advent. Let us reflect on them closely to help us enter into the spirit of the new season.
“Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ.” To have “resolve” presupposes an understanding of what it takes to get to the goal. It speaks of our earnest, deliberate and conscious effort to return to Christ. The element of “running” underlines a sense of urgency and determination. It cannot be delayed. It cannot be postponed. There is more than excitement, but a bursting and joyful anticipation of something big that changes our landscape forever. And, there’s nothing bigger than Christ himself!
“with righteous deed at his coming,” This is how we run forth or, should I say, sprint to Christ. Through cultivating lives of virtues and gospel values, we sprint to the embrace of Christ. Advent is a blessed opportunity to re-born those elements of the Beatitudes (poverty in spirit, mercy, compassion, justice, forgiveness, endurance in faith, hope and love) that have been sidelined because worldly affairs have overcome us. Is there any particular sin or vice that handicaps you to run forth speedily to Christ? What virtue/s can you substitute for it?
“so that gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly
kingdom”. Heaven is the whole goal of Advent, or of every liturgical season. The coming of Christ to the world, his incarnation, is ultimately meant to restore us as heirs of the Kingdom of heaven. This is our greatest inheritance.
In the midst of the glitters and busyness of the season, Advent invites us to slow down, just like a mother waiting for her child to be born. It cannot be rushed. But deep inside our hearts, the joy is rushing, running and gathering. The rushing, running and gathering should lead us to the manger, where we find ourselves in adoration with clean hearts, worthy to behold the King of Kings! – Fr. Cary