The Basis and Timing of Advent
What is the Season of Advent About?
The Season of Advent has arrived, and for the Church this is a very special season that prepares us spiritually, eschatologically and logistically for Christ.
Four Praying Weeks until Christmas
But what is Advent specifically? Let’s start with some basic background: The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is the name of the four week period of preparation leading up to the birth of the Lord on Christmas. Advent always begins on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) and it continues through four consecutive Sundays until the start of the first Mass of Christmas celebrated in the evening on December 24th. With the start of that December 24th evening Mass, the Christmas Season begins.
The Season of Advent has arrived, and for the Church this is a very special season that prepares us spiritually, eschatologically and logistically for Christ.
- Spiritually, it focuses us on God coming into world in the flesh (incarnate) at Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ.
- Eschatologically (meaning looking towards the end-times), it prepares us for the Second Coming of Christ, when he will come not as Savior of mankind, but as its judge.
- Logistically, it revs up the engine of the new Church year during which we worship and celebrate our Savior, Jesus Christ – the first Sunday of Advent is our New Year’s Day.
Four Praying Weeks until Christmas
But what is Advent specifically? Let’s start with some basic background: The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is the name of the four week period of preparation leading up to the birth of the Lord on Christmas. Advent always begins on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) and it continues through four consecutive Sundays until the start of the first Mass of Christmas celebrated in the evening on December 24th. With the start of that December 24th evening Mass, the Christmas Season begins.