‘Advent, a good time to purify spirit, keep faith alive’ – Pope
By Christina Hermoso
As Christians mark the Fourth Sunday of Advent today, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that the season of Advent is “a good time to purify the spirit, to make the faith grow with this purification.”
FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis talks as he meets with young people at the Politeama square in Palermo, Italy, September 15, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/ MANILA BULLETIN
It is important, the Pontiff said, to keep one’s faith “alive” and not just practiced out of habit. “It can happen that faith can become a habit for us, we can get used to it, forgetting its liveliness. When faith becomes a habit, we lose that strength of the faith, that newness of the faith that is always renewed,” the Holy Father said in a message for Advent.
Pope Francis called on the faithful to refrain from making Christmas a “worldly” celebration.
“We have to remember that Christmas is not about the birth of a Christmas tree, but about the birth of Jesus Christ. The Lord is born, the Redeemer who has come to save us. Yes, it is a celebration but we will always have within us the temptation to make Christmas mundane, worldly. When the celebration stops being about contemplation—a beautiful family celebration with Jesus at the center—it begins to be a worldly celebration: all about shopping, presents, this and that… and the Lord remains there, forgotten. Advent is a time for purifying the memory,” he stressed.
Advent, the Pope added, also prepares us for our ultimate “encounter with the Lord because He will return and it will be a personal encounter,” he said.
Sharing God’s love
Pope Francis reminded that the Lord “comes to us every day and that we must bring God’s love to others.”
“Vigilance and prayer are two words for Advent: Because historically the Lord came in Bethlehem, and He will come, at the end of the world and also at the end of our individual lives.
But every day, every moment, He comes into our hearts, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and mercy this Christmas and beyond. Bring God’s love to others especially the poor, the orphans, the oppressed, and victims of violence,” Pope Francis said.
Meanwhile, in churches today, readings, prayers, and reflections will focus on the narratives and events that surround the final theme of the Advent season: The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
Priests in violet vestments will lead church rites that include the lighting of the third purple candle – the symbol of love – in the Advent wreath to emphasize the nearness of the joyous celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ. The two purple candles, which symbolize penance and hope respectively, as well as the pink candle, which symbolizes joy, will be re-lighted, leaving only the white center candle, which symbolizes Christ. The white candle will be lighted during the Misa de Gallo, the Christmas Eve mass, at midnight on Monday, Dec. 24, to herald the onset of Christmas.