This is the final Sunday of Advent. On Wednesday will fall our celebration of Christmas. With that the news of the birth of the Saviour will quickly spread and from this miraculous birth the night will be illumined.
This Introit which was used on this 4th Sunday of Advent is the same as the Introit which is used for the Votive Mass to the Blessed Virgin Mary during Advent. Our parish celebrated that Mass last week. At the Rorate Coeli Mass the church is illumined only by the altar candles and those candles which are held by the faithful. It is truly a beautiful sight to behold.
The Rorate Coeli Mass recalls the advent of Christ, Light of the world. As the sun begins to rise Mass progresses. As the church comes to be illumined, we see how Jesus, the only-begotten Son illumines our minds with His truth and warms our hearts by His charity.
So too on this 4th Sunday of Advent the birth of Christ ever draws closer for us. On this Sunday the light of Christ ever draws closer to illumine the night. We can see the many ways in which the world has been touched by sin and death and yet Christ ushers the assurance of peace into the world. As Saint Paul exclaimed from his Epistle: “Therefore judge not before the time, until the Lord come; who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”
As we prepare to encounter this great gift may we heed these words from Saint Paul. The world will continue to seem to be cast into darkness, but we must remember the great hope which is Christ the light which redeems and lifts us out of this darkness. So too we must turn towards the Lord and allow His light to illumine us. As Saint John the Baptist cried out: “prepare you the way of the Lord: make straight His paths.”
We must remember that the one we now prepare to encounter is fully human, but also fully divine. If we truly propose to encounter Him we must place our trust in His merciful hands. We must allow Him to be the one who heals us of our sin and sets us upon the straight path towards Heaven. Sadly, there are many who forget the Divinity of our Lord and thus don’t see the effect of sin when it comes to drawing closer to Him.
