The earliest testimonies of the Advent

Meditation on the revealed Word, reflection on the events of salvation, and doctrinal penetration often focused on the mystery of the Incarnation. The celebratory fact of Advent proved decisive in this regard, as most of the patristic and theological production on the subject originated from liturgy. Often, homiletics provides us with the most vibrant and still relevant material.The patristic lectionary, in pursuit of substantial spirituality during this period of intensity and stronger light, develops various themes as a whole. We can identify and group them, thereby penetrating the density of the oldest testimonies about Advent.The eschatological nature of AdventProphetic preaching, announcing the Advent of the Messiah’s kingdom, presented the elements of ‘two comings or manifestations’: the first event is the beginning of the fulfillment of promises, the second is the conclusion, at the end of history.A first series of readings has an eschatological tone. In fact, the Fathers of the Church already looked to Christ’s subsequent return in glory, and in conjunction, to the establishment of his kingdom at the end of time. The Church in pilgrimage eagerly awaits the return of Christ, her Lord and Savior. At the same time, the fathers of Christian doctrine place primary emphasis on the mystery of God’s love, which is the theme of patristic readings from the days immediately before Christmas in the liturgical office.Saint Irenaeus of Lyon (d. 202) states that there are three stages to seeing God:1. In the first, God is scrutinized in the Spirit through prophecy. 2. In the second, he is seen in the Son. 3. In the third, he is contemplated in his paternity.This third stage is eternal life. Advent is simultaneously the actualization of the first stage, the experience of the second, and the anticipation, in faith and hope, of the final stage (Adversus haereses IV, 20, 4-5).The primitive Church saw the reality of the kingdom already present in Christ’s coming into the world and its insertion into history. The Christian already lives in the last days: Christ has come and will return. At all times, the kingdom of God surrounds the Christian between two historical events. He will return with joyful expectation and firm hope for Christ’s coming. The present of the messianic age is a period of continuous progress whose final result will be the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom and the glorification of his body, the Church.Illuminating the meaning and content of Advent are two texts that we quote for their great importance. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) states: “We proclaim Christ who is coming. In fact, his coming is not unique, but there is a second, which will be far more glorious than the first. The first, indeed, bore the seal of suffering, the other will wear a crown of divine royalty. It can be said that almost always in our Lord Jesus Christ every event is double. The generation is double, one from God the Father, before the times, and another, the human birth, from a Virgin in the fullness of time. Two are also his descents into history. The first time he came in darkness and silence, like rain on the earth (Ps 71:6). The second time he will come in the future in splendor and clarity before the eyes of all. On his first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger, on his second he will be clothed in light like a garment (Ps 103:2). On his first coming he accepted the cross without refusing the shame (Heb 2:12), on his second he will march forth accompanied by the hosts of angels and be filled with glory. Therefore, let us not limit ourselves to meditating only on the first coming, but live in the expectation of the second. The Savior will come not to be judged again, but to judge those who condemned him” (Catechesis 15,1-3).Saint Bernard (d. 1153) distinguishes even more precisely: “We know that there is a triple coming of the Lord, a hidden one, in fact, which intervenes between the other two that are manifest. In the first, the Word was seen on earth and conversed with men, when, as He Himself says, they saw Him and yet hated Him. In the last coming, ‘all will see the salvation of God’ (Lk 3:6) and ‘they will look upon Him whom they have pierced’ (Zc 12:10). The hidden coming is then that which takes place intermediately, where only the elect will see Him within themselves, and their souls are saved. In the first coming, therefore, He came in the weakness of the flesh; in this intermediate coming, He comes in the power of the Spirit; in the last, He will come in the majesty of His glory. This intermediate coming is, so to speak, a path that joins the first to the last: in the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, He will manifest Himself as our life; in this, He is our rest and our consolation” (Sermon V of Advent, 1-3).Incarnation in the Mystery of SalvationThe Incarnation of the Word is inscribed within the broad scope of the eschatological theme that encompasses the entire history of salvation.This occurs from various perspectives:God’s Love for MenSt. Peter Chrysologus (d. 450) reminds us that sin has not only caused a separation between men and God, but also instilled fear of God in them. Where there is fear, there can be no love. But God took the initiative: His love, manifested in the events of salvation history, is a testimony that dispels the old fear, generates desire, and invites us to return. The new civilization will be built on love: only thus will it preserve the goods of salvation (Homily 147).William of Saint Thierry (d. 1148) affirms this in this sense: God loved us first: this is the great lesson we draw from this. The Son loved us to the point of dying on the cross. And He did not do this because He needed to be reciprocated, but simply because loving us is the only way He could make us what He wanted us to be (On the Contemplation of God, 9-11).> “From our side, Lord, we love You with the strength and will of love that You have given us. Indeed, You created our souls and the good feelings that dwell within them. Your goodness and Your love are the same, O God, they are Your Holy Spirit” (from a homily).At the precise moment when man turns away from God, God initiates the economy of salvation. This term refers to the plan of salvation for humanity, revealed through creation and above all through the redemption accomplished in Jesus (Eph 1:10).St. Augustine (d. 430) states that this work requires an entire journey. God,> “fixed the precise times for his promises and their fulfillment,” (Commentary on the Psalms 109).The time of promise extends from the prophets to John the Baptist, and the time of fulfillment from John the Baptist to the Parousia. In the fullness of time, the Father sent his Son as Savior. At the appointed hour, he will return as Judge.The Letter to Diognetus, written around 120 (8.5-9), states that God conceived an eternal plan to save humanity through his Son, unfolding throughout history. In this, he created the present time of grace. When our sins and injustices reached their peak, the appointed hour arrived to reveal his power, goodness, mercy, and compassion. There is an abyss between God and man. An exchange between the two, easily acceptable to humans. Patristic thought, especially Greek, made this effort of inquiry and penetration, and derived from it that God becomes man so that man may become God. In the same vein, we find St. Irenaeus of Lyon (d. 130) describing Christ as becoming first like us so that we may become like him (Adversus Haereses, V.1).More profoundly, St. Athanasius (d. 373) explains that the Incarnation is presented as the restoration of the image of God in man, as it was in the beginning (On the Incarnation of the Word 3.3-4). Therefore, the Advent is fundamentally a transformation of man. This model of regeneration is the foundation of Christian life.Final Prayer, AdventMary awaits him, in her becoming, he already exists. In his coming, he already offers himself. And she gives to her Mother the certainty of his mission, and in this certainty resides the sure knowledge of the redemption of the world. And this gift does not end with her. Through her, it reaches the Church, until it comes to us. We have a part in this gift. When Mary meets the known ones in her environment, she looks at them from the perspective of redemption. They are also among those who will be given the grace to bear his Son. And the circle expands to include the unknown, those she meets by chance, those far away and whom she will never see again, those she does not know at all. But all need the same redemption, and therefore she has something to give to all: her Son. And so she will rejoice in all, because she will be able to give this gift to all. Rarely will it be a visible and tangible task, almost always it will remain a task that is accomplished solely within her great abandonment to God. Therefore, in her mission, there is something that could not absolutely be foreseen at the moment of her yes, and now becomes visible: the inclusion of all others. The coexistence of all in expectation of the Redeemer. Even those who do not yet know anything about it, who will not be able to know. The fulfillment is found with God. But it is also in the vocation of the Mother, to place herself at the disposal, her availability, her perseverance in this attitude. And for this reason, it is also in the invitation she addresses to all to be present and to let themselves be involved, to share with her this participation, so that all can participate in the feast that the Son prepares for his Mother, without dimming through the ages, so that it be Christmas for all. In this convergence of all times in the time of Advent lies, hidden in the depths, the mystery of Mary: her bending, her following, her understanding, her obedience, her love. As guests, we are allowed to share with her his hope, which has its foundation in his mission and, through this, the mission of each person who participates in the faith. Perhaps there is no better preparation for Christmas than to know that we are included in the Mother’s prayer, in her serene certainty that by grace of the Son, the day he comes to us, we will be offered the possibility of responding to his expectations.To deepen the presence of Mary in the earliest liturgical testimonies of Advent, consult the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Paul VI on Mary and the liturgical year.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian theology, Marian apparitions, and the Graduate Program in Mariology.