Advent is a mystical journey. Mary and Joseph set the tone for us with their journey to Bethlehem. It is a journey of trusting in visions and locutions, a journey of being ostracized and ridiculed, a journey of believing in impossible things, an adventurous journey that changed the course of human history. Their journey weaves together aspects of this world with those of another realm; along the journey, humans and angels interact as their paths intersect to collaborate on God’s plan for salvation. For us, in modern times, the journey is about patiently waiting, expectantly hoping, and diligently searching.
We are beckoned to search our heart and search for truth in Jesus and the Holy Family. On the final day of Jesus’ life on earth, He appeared before worldly powers, including Annas and Caiphas, religious high priests, Herod, an imperial king, and Pontius Pilate, a governmental procurator who questions Him about kingship. Jesus says that His kingdom is not of this world, yet it will be known by those who side with the truth. The Advent journey, which is more of a spiritual journey than a religious one, tries to reveal the truth to our waiting world that contains multiple cultures, creeds, and religions.
One of the differences between religion and spirituality is that religions claim to possess the truth—some claim to be the true church or even to hold all truth. Spirituality, on the other hand, searches for truth, attesting that when we discover it, we realize that it is beyond our human grasp. The Advent story begins with a longing for the Messiah. For Christians, it is put in motion when God’s angel appeared to young Mary in Nazareth to announce that she is the chosen vessel that will bring Christ into our sphere. The infancy narratives conclude with the story of Wise Kings from the Orient, described as astrologers and astronomers, implying that their kingly connection is to the skies and heavens more than to earth and worldly fiefdoms. After the star guides them to the babe, they present him with gifts that symbolize humanity, divinity, and royalty, essentially illustrating that His kingdom is not of this world, though it is announced to this world while He is in this world.
Along the Advent journey each year, children of earth wait for Christmas much like Children of God wait for heaven. We have tremendous hopes, even some visions and dreams that get mixed in with our reality. The journey opens us to messages from angels and ancestors to hearken the heralding of heaven. And along the journey, we search. We search our own heart each day as we search the heart of our expectant earth and waiting world. While waiting and walking the way of this liturgical season, some of us act as Advent Angels. In that role, we meet and accompany others along the path. Some are very generous, and some are in tremendous need; some are poor, and some are poor in spirit. As Angels of Advent, we do a good deed each day of the journey for someone who will benefit from our kind acts. In this, I believe, we come to a greater understanding of truth and the truth or purpose of our existence.
The Kings of the Orient are veritable trail guides who urge us to orient ourselves to the truth. The Christmas story tells us that they come from the east. Unlike western religions that want to possess the truth, eastern spiritualities help us find the truth by following a divine light, as the Wise Ones found Jesus. Our Advent search can guide us to present gifts of kindness and goodness to others much like the Magi presented gifts to the Christ-child who entered the world in poverty. Our Advent journey is a blessed odyssey that invites us to a new awareness and unknown truths. Even if we think we already possess the truth, it calls us to travel deeper into it, for it is through the adventures of the journey, even more than in the destination, that we will discover, the Way, the Truth, and our Life. I encourage you in this season of waiting to become an Advent Angel who, day by day, through good deeds and kind acts, comes closer to the truth and closer to our sanctified destination.
