Happy New Year in December. Our new liturgical calendar starts on the first day of Advent. So, today we can greet each other in the Catholic Church “Happy New Year!” We look back with gratitude to the past liturgical year and we look forward with hope to the blessings of the new liturgical year as we prepare anew for the Lord’s visitation. We reflect on the first coming of our Savior when he took on our human flesh in the womb of our Blessed Mother and was born on Christmas day. We also ponder on his second coming when he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. Let us not forget to prepare for the many ways by which our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer come to visit us in our ordinary daily life.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that God is our Father and our Potter, who formed us according to his own image and likeness; but, we have sinned and have done evil acts.

In the second reading, Paul reminds the community in Corinth that with God’s grace, they need to be steadfast in their faith until the end. Then in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us to stay awake because we don’t know the time when the Lord will come again.

As we enter this season of Advent and as we reflect on the readings, we are invited to be vigilant and to be watchful for the coming of the Lord in our day-to-day lives. The mystic-author, Fr. Thomas Merton writes in one of his essays: “In Advent, we celebrate the coming and indeed the presence of Christ in our world. We witness to His presence even in the midst of all its inscrutable problems and tragedies.”

The question to ask ourselves this season of Advent 2023 is this: How might we be more Christ-like this Advent and beyond amidst the wars in various parts of the world, amidst the tragedies and calamities due to climate change, and amidst the many other challenges that confront us? 

I believe God is calling us to enter more deeply into our imperfect and hurting world as we strive to make Christ’s presence become real by caring for one another, for our common home, and especially for the poor, and as we work for peace after the example of our Savior Jesus Christ – the Emmanuel (God with us!) and Prince of Peace.

Sr. Claire Marie R. Sy, CMT
Manila, Philippines