Br. Adrian was fond of playing Bach’s chorale, “Wachet Auf”, wake up, sleepers awake. The chorale is built around the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, so the sentiment and the parable are suitable for Advent, but especially in this season when we are approaching Christmas and Advent is drawing to a close.
In days gone by, there was no special Advent Preface, only the Preface of the Holy Trinity, but now we have two, thanks to St. Paul VI, who when Archbishop of Milan, was used to having thirty Advent Prefaces. The second Advent Preface is a beautiful prayer, a crescendo of good news. The liturgy is starting to pull out stops, and is as it were getting louder, to wake us up.
It starts with all the prophets, heralding, proclaiming, town criers – they cried aloud, in season and out, welcome or not, trying to make themselves heard, foretelling the advent of the Messiah, of mercy and forgiveness. All of them together, minor and major prophets in chorus. Impossible to sleep through that!
Mary, his virgin Mother received the Good News, received the Word, conceived him as flesh, with inexpressible delight. If the annunciation of John the Baptist’s birth brought joy and exultation to Zechariah, and joy to many, how much more so did Jesus to Mary. Eye has not seen, ear not heard, nor has it entered into any other human heart what that good news meant to Mary, it was inexpressible, it could not be put into words. To the unborn John it brought exultation and joy. Every moment, night and day, Mary could feel the fruit of her womb, alive and active, every moment filled her with joy and love. Always be giving thanks, rejoice, I say, rejoice. Mary did not need to wait for St. Paul for that, with her foretaste of heaven. That joy is for us, too.
There in his mother’s womb, John began his mission, as last of the prophets, singing out, heralding, proclaiming that Jesus the Messiah was coming, on his way, he continued to fulfil that mission in the desert, all Jerusalem and all Judea hearkening to him, the voice crying loudly in the desert, coming to him at the Jordan, confessing their sins and being baptised.
And then Jesus appeared, and it was John’s mission to point him out, he is no longer about to come, he is here, he has come, behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
And with those exhortations and examples we are invited to prepare for the mystery of his birth with rejoicings, so that when he comes he will find us wide awake, watchful and praying, exulting and praising.
And therefore… the only sensible course to follow is to join the heavenly chorus of angels, archangels, thrones and dominations, with the whole heavenly host, a quasi-infinite number, says St. Thomas, a very great sound, echoing and re-echoing, so we join in, singing a hymn of glory, of joy, of thanksgiving, “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” in anticipation of the feast, the mystery, which is already ours, that we are re-presenting, making present in its graces and joys, a sort of rewind action-replay, that goes on for ever, summed up in the one word, endlessly repeated by the heavenly choirs, holy, holy, holy…
Let us then wake up and stay awake, let us proclaim the Messiah, let us prepare the way for him, let us point him out, let us love him and delight in him, praise and exult, make a great noise, watch and pray, stay awake, praise and exult, for yes, he has come, but he will also come again, let us join our pleas to the Spirit and the Bride and pray, “Come, Lord Jesus” and be sure, that as he says, he will come quickly. He is the desired of the nations, answer to our every hunger, our need for love. Come, Lord Jesus! DGC