Florida Catholic | Advent Is For Penance

Advent is for penance, too, bishop says

DANIEL SOÑÉ | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 12.14.07

MIAMI GARDENS | Most Catholics associate forgiveness and reconciliation with the Lenten season.

However, the season of Advent is also a prime time for reconciliation, according to Miami Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Estévez.

“The king of reconciliation is the king of peace,” Bishop Estévez said during a daylong Advent retreat he preached Dec. 1 at St. Thomas University.

He cited Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection as the ultimate acts of reconciling the world with God, and said that Advent is the perfect time to prepare for the beginning of God’s action to reconcile the world.

“Christ’s gift to us is peace. So, we must prepare ourselves to receive it and create a place to hold it. This is what Advent is all about,” Bishop Estévez said.

He pointed out that Catholics are unique in their celebration of Christmas.

Unlike other Christian denominations, the celebration begins earlier in the church and lasts until the Epiphany. Also, the theme of reconciliation is stretched throughout the liturgical year. The events of Advent and Christmas blend into the events of Lent and Easter.

“The similarity between Advent and Lent shows that reconciliation is not just an outcome, but a process. It is ongoing, even today,” Bishop Estévez emphasized.

He noted that reconciliation, peace and salvation are themes found in nearly every facet of the church, even in the construction of its sanctuaries.

“When you first walk into a church, you experience water — the waters of salvation which remind you of your baptism. Even to the very construction of a church you experience and are reminded of God’s reconciling love,” Bishop Estévez said.

Advent, like Lent, is a time to prepare one’s heart and home for the arrival of salvation.

“We should prepare our hearts for Christmas just like we prepare our homes for the occasion. We clean, we decorate, but most importantly, we come together. This coming together, this reconciliation, is what brings peace. This was and is the mission of Christ and of Christmas,” the bishop said. “Advent is like welcoming a beloved guest to come into our homes. Our hearts should be the same.”

Bishop Estévez also spoke about the sacrament of reconciliation, saying, “Do not think of the sacrament or process of reconciliation like a trip to the dentist. Think of it as taking a nice, hot shower. You are cleansed. You are refreshed. That is what the sacrament is meant to be.”

Catholics should not waste the opportunity during the Advent season to cleanse themselves and prepare for the arrival of “our peace,” the bishop said.

Reconciliation, through sacrament and practice, is essential to having a healthy relationship with God and neighbor, he added. “Christ has taken a step toward us. Let us take a step toward him this season.”

Advent, like Lent, is a time to prepare one’s heart and home for the arrival of salvation.

Catholics should not waste the opportunity during the Advent season to cleanse themselves and prepare for the arrival of “our peace,” the bishop said.

Reconciliation, through sacrament and practice, is essential to having a healthy relationship with God and neighbor, he added.

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Advent is for penance, too, bishop says

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