Q: Archbishop J, it’s so hard to wait through Advent for Christmas. Why bother?
That’s an honest question—and one that echoes deep within many of us. We live in a world that does not like to wait. We fast-forward through commercials, swipe past slow content, and expect results in seconds.
So, when the Church asks us to pause, to be patient, to wait through four weeks of Advent before celebrating Christmas, it can feel burdensome, even irrelevant.
The lights are already up in the malls. The carols have been playing since October. The parties have started. Why not just join in?
Because waiting, in the spiritual life, is never wasted.
The Advent amnesia
Each year, Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier. Long before December arrives, in this two-season, sunny Caribbean land, we are surrounded by snowmen, reindeer, glittering trees, and ‘Christmas cheer’ that is more commercial than Christian.
The reason is clear: commerce. As merchants realised the season’s unmatched profitability, they expanded it. The earlier the carols play and the decorations go up, the earlier people start spending. And so, the deepest truths of Christmas—its humility, mystery, and hope—are slowly buried under wrapping paper and flashing lights.
Caught in this commercial storm, we lose Advent. Rather than a sacred season of reflection and preparation, it becomes a blur of busyness. There are parties to attend, presents to buy, homes to decorate, and curtains to change. By the time Christmas actually arrives, we are exhausted. Not transformed, just tired. We’ve skipped the journey and rushed to the destination.
But the Church, in her wisdom, says: Wait.
Advent is a season, not a countdown
Advent is not a warm-up act for Christmas. It is a liturgical season in its own right—with its own colours (purple and rose), its own readings, symbols, and spirituality.
Advent is a season of active waiting—not passive idleness. It is a time of soul-searching, repentance, and hope. It recalls the centuries Israel spent longing for a Messiah. It invites us to cry out again, “Come, Lord Jesus!”—not only in remembrance of His birth in Bethlehem, but in hope for His coming again in glory.
As the General Norms for the Liturgical Year teach us:
“Advent has a twofold character: it is a time of preparation for the solemnities of Christmas… and likewise, a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of time” (39).
The Roman Missal calls it a time of “devout and expectant delight.” Two comings—past and future—held in one sacred space. Our waiting opens us for the third coming in mystery every day when Christ presents Himself to us in so many hidden ways if we are waiting, watching and awake.
Why wait? Because love takes time
Waiting is hard, yes—but love takes time. Anyone who has been pregnant, waited for test results, prepared for a wedding, or prayed for a wayward child knows love is patient. Love doesn’t rush.
In Advent, we learn to wait like Mary did—expectant, attentive, and open to the Spirit. We learn to listen to the prophets. We learn to see the signs of God’s coming in our ordinary days.
Psychologists tell us that the ability to delay gratification is one of the key predictors of emotional intelligence. Our Christian tradition calls it sacrifice. To wait with discipline and intention is to reclaim our souls from the grip of consumerism. It is to rediscover depth.
The wisdom of the Church
The Church teaches us to mark this sacred time slowly and meaningfully. And she leads by example. At the Vatican, the Christmas tree and crèche in St Peter’s Square are not unveiled until mid-December—often around December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is not arbitrary. It is a liturgical witness: Respect the rhythm. Don’t rush the mystery.
In our homes and parishes, we too can honour this rhythm:
- Wait until December 7, when the Vatican lights the Christmas tree and unveils the Nativity scene, to begin our decorations.
- Embrace the Advent wreath, lighting a new candle each Sunday.
- Use an Advent calendar, inviting children to open the mystery day by day.
- Pray the ‘O Antiphons’ (Dec 17–23) as the Church does, drawing from the titles of Christ in Isaiah.
- Spend time each day with the Advent readings—rich with longing, repentance, and hope.
- Reflect on the graces of this Jubilee and the pilgrimages and events you attended.
A spiritual detox
Advent is a spiritual detox. It pulls us out of the noise and reminds us of what—and who—we’re really waiting for.
Yes, it feels counter cultural. That’s the point. As disciples of Christ, we are not meant to be swept along by every cultural tide. We are called to be signs of contradiction.
When the world rushes, we slow down. When the world consumes, we reflect. When the world decorates in October, we light one simple candle.
This is how we become Pilgrims of Hope—not escapists, but people grounded in the promise of God.
The joy of Gaudete
The Church does not leave us in solemn remembrance forever. On the third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete Sunday, we light the rose-coloured candle. “Rejoice!” the liturgy cries. The Lord is near! This burst of joy is not a full celebration—it’s a foretaste. A sign that the waiting is working. That hope is rising. That joy is coming.
If we have lived the first two weeks well—in prayer, simplicity, and expectancy—then the joy of this Sunday will be deeper, fuller, and more radiant.
Christmas: the celebration that follows the wait
Christmas in the Church begins with the Vigil Mass on December 24 and continues for at least eight days (the Octave of Christmas). It continues until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in early January or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2, for the latest.
This means that if we wait well, we don’t get less Christmas—we get more. More depth. More joy. More grace. More space in our hearts for the Christ who comes.
A season worth living fully
So, yes, it’s hard to wait. But it is holy. Let us reclaim Advent—not as a season to skip over, but as a gift to embrace. Let us teach our children that waiting is beautiful. Let us model patience in a hurried world. Let us become again a people who can long, who can hope, who can trust the timing of God.
And when Christmas finally comes, may it find us not exhausted—but ready.
Key Message:
Advent is a sacred season of preparation and hope. By waiting well, we enter more deeply into the joy of Christmas.
Action Step:
Live Advent intentionally: light an Advent wreath, pray with the daily readings, delay Christmas decorations until December 7 or Gaudete Sunday. Teach your family the rhythm of the Church. Prepare your heart.
Scripture for Reflection:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2
