contributed by the Chaplaincy Team
The central focus of the season of Advent is the coming of the Lord. Advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning ‘coming’. For Catholics, Advent is the four-week season leading up to Christmas. During Advent we anticipate the coming of Jesus. It’s a time full of reflection and hope. Advent officially begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24. It marks the beginning of the Catholic Church’s calendar year.
Advent is rich with sacred symbols. The Scriptures are filled with images of light and darkness, cacophony and silence, waiting and fulfillment. The colour of the season is deep purple. The colour purple of three of the advent wreath candles, as well as the the priest’s vestments during Mass, is meant to remind us of the importance of preperation and repentance (meaning ‘to turn back’) in our lives. In the past, the colour purple was also associated with nobility and supremacy. Advent is meant to help us recognize Christ as the ‘King of Kings’.
During the chaplaincy sessions with our students, we have been reflecting on all of this and other key elements of Advent. Let us pray that this sacred time is indeed a time of renewal for all of us!
