With Opened Bible

“In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” (Jeremiah 33:14)

As we embark on the Advent season, we are filled with the anticipation of the great promise of salvation: The Lord will send the Savior, his Son, to redeem humanity. This anticipation fills our hearts with hope and joy.

For four weeks, symbolizing the four thousand years of waiting for the Messiah, the entire Church is invited to vigilance and hope. It is a vital time in the sense that it suggests a return to ourselves to better focus on God: "In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land." (Jeremiah 33) The root of Jesse, Father of David, is the image Holy Scripture uses to express the promised Messiah: Jesus Christ. It is he who, invested by divine power, will bring to fruition the hope of Israel. With him, the earth would see justice and peace grow.

However, before justice and peace are established, there will be a time for overthrowing the world as we know it. God cannot build on sin or injustice. The old world, marked by the fault of Adam, must first disappear to make way for the new, created in Jesus Christ. The cosmic events described in Saint Luke are proof of this: "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth, nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21)

However, fear would not help those who hope in God. Faith in the truth of Christ must allow us to stand firm since it is our hour that is announced: "But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." (Luke 21) It has been more than two thousand years since the Savior's birth, but the world is still under the domination of evil. (Cf. 1 John 5:19) This year, he would no longer want to be born in a stable but in our hearts. Because if he lives there, we will be truly converted. 'Marana tha' is an Aramaic phrase that means 'Our Lord, come '. It is a prayerful expression of our longing for Christ's return. Come, Lord Jesus, we are waitng for you.