Loretto Wishes You Joy of Heart This Advent: Veni, Veni Emmanuel!

Most Roman Catholic churches do not read the Entrance Antiphon anymore because we are singing instead! But this year the message sets the tone for the Advent we need. It is the Prophet Isaiah telling us God will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of God’s voice to be heard in the joy of your heart.

If there was ever a year to hear God in your heart, this is it. The psalmist picks up the theme as it is prayed by the Jewish, then Christian communities, for thousands of years: “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.” (Ps.72)

Advent: Our four weeks to prepare our hearts for God’s greatest gift. We all remember the words from the Gospel of John 1:1-4: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Advent: A season of Jesus coming and yet, not yet. A promise? Yes. A hope? Yes. We enter this Advent looking for Jesus in the people of Ukraine, in the children with COVID, in the chaos of Russia, in the hurricane victims of Florida and in the immigrants looking for safety everywhere. Christ is already there, in the tragedy and hope of the people. Their Advent has been happening for a long time.They watch and wait. They long for the joy of their hearts. And so must we.

Loretto wishes you the joy of your heart. Loretto wishes you the fullness of peace. We are in good company as we prepare our Advent wreath. The voices of Advent — Isaiah, Hosea, Elijah, John the Baptist, Mary and Jesus — all tell us: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Watch and wait. It will surely come.