Week one: Hope
The first week of Advent is meant to draw our attention to the second coming of Jesus at the end of time. The liturgy of the First Sunday of Advent invites us to “be vigilant at all times” (Lk 21:36) as we await Christ’s coming in glory and majesty. As Christians today, we live between Christ’s Ascension and Second Coming, between when he left earth, and when he will return to judge the living and the dead. What does this mean for us, we who are awaiting the Lord’s coming again? What should our attitude be as we live the Christian life in our world today, awaiting the eschaton?
Deacon John Brusa III
The answer is simple: hope. Hope is our desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life. Pope Benedict XVI pointed out in his encyclical Spe Salvi that hope is what differentiates Christians from the rest of the world, because it tells us that our lives will not end in emptiness. We have a future in heaven that awaits us.
There are several ways we can foster the virtue of hope in ourselves this Advent, but first and foremost should come prayer. By developing a prayer life, we grow in relationship with God, the one who made us for Himself. Through prayer, we come to know our maker, and in turn are filled with hope, filled with the desire to spend eternity with Him. Taking time for prayer each day is a simple and effective way to foster the virtue of hope in our lives this Advent season.
“Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus,” come and fill our hearts with desire for you, O Lord, so that we one day might be with you in your heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Editor’s note: Transitional Deacon John Brusa III is in his final year of studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland with anticipated ordination to the priesthood in June 2025. He is a member of Holy Family Church in Fairmount.
