Advent is a time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas and when we renew our desire for His second coming at the end of time. We should be praying to God for the theological gift of hope that comes from of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and the renewal of that gift in our lives. Hope is essential to the Christian life – it gives us joy, energy, enthusiasm; it makes us smile; it puts a spring in our step; it assures us that with God the impossible can be possible, that obstacles can be overcome, that the gloom can be transformed into light. More, it is hope that enables us to glimpse the joy of our true home in heaven. The weekly reflections below can help us on our journey of faith.
WEEK 1 OF ADVENT
Wassily Kandinsky, “The Last Judgment,” 1912
Wassily Kandinsky’s The Last Judgment invites us into the Advent season with an emotional tour de force expressed in colour, line, and form. The Last Judgment is meant to evoke feeling and emotion. During the season of Advent, our Gospel readings ask us to consider what is most important to us as we prepare for Jesus’ coming, at his birth and at the end of time. As St Luke reminds us, we are called to prayer and vigilance. We are called to resist that which weighs us down, and make way instead for that which elevates us to stand before the Son of Man.
WEEK 2 OF ADVENT
Mattia Preti, “St. John the Baptist Preaching,” circa 1665
This painting shows John the Baptist in the wilderness, sharing his message with a small crowd of captivated followers. Luke’s Gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent tells us that the Word of God came to John in the desert, and Preti gives us an angel, a herald of the Word of God, to show this and the divine source animating St. John’s work. On this Second Sunday of Advent, we do not simply hear about the prophet John; but are reminded that in hearing the Word ourselves, we are called to live prophetically and to prepare the way all around us.
WEEK 3 OF ADVENT
Domenico Ghirlandaio, “Preaching of St. John the Baptist,” 1490
In this scene, we meet John the Baptist preaching to the crowds, standing on a rock and holding a cross staff with one hand, while instructing with his other. As John prepares the way by his preaching, Christ appears on the top left, heading down a path toward the crowd. Not one person notices him. In the midst of the elegant and colourful crowd, John the Baptist stands on a rock in his camelhair shirt and preaches the coming of Christ. His words call us to turn too, make way for the Lord, and let our hearts be filled with joyful expectation as he nears.
WEEK 4 OF ADVENT
Henry Ossawa Tanner, “The Visitation,” 1909–1910
Mary is just entering the house. Her face is kind and joyful, her bodily presence already humming the Magnificat before she utters the words that will come to sing her praise to the Lord. Elizabeth’s expression welcoming Mary is complex - the artist captures her in a moment of awe. If Mary’s body sings the Magnificat, Elizabeth embodies her words of awe and wonder: “How does this happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” The meeting between Mary and Elizabeth teaches us about the holy. May we find and welcome holiness in these last days of Advent as we await the light of Christ.
CHRISTMAS REFLECTION
John Singleton Copley, “The Nativity,” 1777
The artist offers a glimpse of the Holy Family through the lens of American colonial portrait painting. Interestingly, the scene is largely devoid of supernatural elements. There are no angels, no star, and no halos on the Holy Family. A bright light illuminating the scene from the top left, guiding the eye toward Mary and the child, is our only explicit indication that this an extraordinary birth that has brought the world its Saviour. Mary is like royalty, radiating grace as she gazes at Jesus. The artist offers us a visual reflection on the mystery of the Son of God taking on our messy, human flesh while remaining fully God. All is calm and bright on this holy night, as we behold the mystery that has come to meet us.