First Sunday of Advent

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The Gospel reading today for the First Sunday of Advent tells us of a rather ominous saying of Jesus which is meant to prepare us for Christmas, but also for the end of time; “Be watchful, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come.” 

Advent is both a time of expectation for the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.  Also, it is a preparation for the end times.  When the end of the world will come we do not know.  As the Gospel tells us, neither do you know when the house owner will return to the servants.

Perhaps one of the best portrayals of the end of the world is the fresco of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.  Truly, this is a marvelous work of art and theology.  We see Michelangelo’s Last Judgment as a background of a blue sky with clouds.  There are both ominous and joyful depictions in the fresco.  Christ, the great judge, is flanked by Mary, His Mother, who intercedes for those who wish to enter Heaven.  In his description, Michelangelo depicts “A sky which does not ever experience nightfall” as he, himself, said.  This is a time of hopefulness that gives us the opportunity to reset our vision of who Christ is in our lives.  It is a time to truly see what Christmas is all about, and, at the same time, remembering that each year we come closer to our own encounter with the Lord.  As the world continues to grow old in its ways, we are ever renewed by the presence of Christ in our lives.

As we begin this Season of Advent, especially this year during Covid-19 when we all have prayed more fervently, may we come closer to the Lord and rejoice in a deeper understanding of the true meaning of Christmas.

Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Ph.D., D.D.

Bishop of Brooklyn