Advent a time to know Jesus

Developing a eucharistic perspective during Advent will enrich our experience of the incarnation of Jesus, “the word made flesh” at Christmas, according to Dina Dow.
During these first weeks of Advent Dow, director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, urged Catholics prepare to meet Jesus with faith and hope.

Before one can be a witness to Jesus one must first go in faith and come to know Jesus, according to Dow.

“When we think about preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus, the gift of faith is given to us freely by God, and the way that we can best know Jesus is through that gift of faith,” said Dow. “And the more that we come to know Jesus, the deeper our faith becomes. 

“Faith is given to us and it shows us where it’s revealed by God and then our actions after that. So faith isn’t just something that I believe in, but it’s something that I actually live.”

From the perspective of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholics profess what they believe through the creed, emphasized Dow.

“What we believe is how we worship and how we worship is what we believe,” said Dow. “The fullness of our faith shines brightly through the participation in the sacraments. And the liturgy comes from the Eucharist, and we have new life each day.”

Therefore, Catholics live their lives according to the teachings handed to them. As written in Scripture during Advent, St. John the Baptist called people to repent. Dow said everyone has opportunities to examine their conscience in order to live the way God is calling them.

“We follow God’s will and at times we stumble or fall. Advent is a time to go to receive the sacrament of  reconciliation. We can participate in that sacrament and prepare to meet Jesus,” said Dow.

She notes that Catholics talk about the mystery of the incarnation and ask why God became man and ask why is it important for us. At the beginning of this liturgical season, Catholics live in faith and truth and look forward to the crowning moment of God becoming man.

“The incarnation reveals the face of God, which is something very substantial and beautiful for us and increases our faith. God is always pursuing us through the promised Messiah,” said Dow.

As St. John the Baptist announces in the Advent Scripture readings, Jesus, “from the manger to the cross,” fulfilled all the covenants and established a new covenant.

Embracing the truth that Jesus came into the world to sacrifice his life for our salvation can help Catholics encounter Jesus, who is the source of joy leading to the eternal joy of being with God, Dow said.  

She pointed out that a good source for reflection is St. John Paul II’s book, “The Word Made Flesh: The Meaning of the Christmas Season.”

St. John Paul II wrote that the Eucharist is a mystery of light and during the season of Advent the church points the faithful to the coming of light into the world.  Mary, who was the first tabernacle by carrying Christ in her womb, is a “woman of the Eucharist” and our model. By putting the Mass and the Eucharist first in their lives, Catholics are being taught by Mary and will enter more deeply into Christ’s coming, according to Dow.

Yet, even as Catholics prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Lord and anticipate eternal life with him, the faithful are fully invited to partake in the Eucharist. Advent is the present moment said Dow. Catholics find themselves in the Eucharist that he unceasingly fills and satisfies the “now.”

Likewise, during Advent the faithful must also have the virtue of hope in which Christians expect from God eternal life and the grace needed to attain it.

“We place our trust in Jesus’ promises and rely not on our strength but on the help of the Holy Spirit for unwavering faith,” said Dow.

In Advent Scripture readings St. John the Baptist cries out to people to reform their lives.  

“Today we strive to hear the voice of Jesus calling us in hearts and conscience to meet him, most especially in the Eucharist,” said Dow. 

Jesus is in the midst of the faithful and in the Eucharist, even though his presence is veiled. 

“Therefore, we celebrate the Eucharist awaiting the blessed hope of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,” Dow said. “There is no surer pledge or clearer sign of this great hope than the Eucharist.”

She highlighted that in his address in 2006 to the Pontifical Committee for the International Eucharistic Congress Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “How great is humanity’s need to rediscover its source of hope in the sacrament of the Eucharist.”

Dow noted that the Eucharist is a preparation for eternal life because God “enters under our roof” and there’s such joy in that. 

Referring to a meditation by Ignatian spiritual director Becky Eldredge, Dow said, “It’s a question of how can we be messengers of faith and hope in Jesus Christ in our world today.”

Next: Meeting Jesus with joy and gratitude.