Advent and Promise of Rebirth

Hope Faith Joy Peace. All are gifted by birth. All are endowed through the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Anne Raever Benavidez

The Advent season is often marked through children in the streets beginning the celebrations with lively christmas carols, eagerly awaiting their aguinaldos while vendors entice the people with the smell of their puto bumbong and bibingka

Advent is often mixed up with Christmas as the two are in succession with each other. The former is in fact the 40 days of preparation and waiting before Christmas – wherein Mary will give birth to Jesus.

The Christmas Gift Giving Tree has been built and filled with Noche Buena food item tags that anyone can offer as a gift for the less fortunate. It is a time of giving, a time of sharing what we have, and a time of preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Through the various Advent and Christmas activities, we internalized the importance of Christ in our lives and we prepared ourselves to be his worthy children. The highlight of Advent is the novena masses (Simbang Gabi) before Jesus’ birth in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

For the year 2022, Simbang Gabi main theme was Mula sa Dilim Tungo sa Liwanag. Halina sa Sabsaban Pag-asa’y Isinilang. The masses were celebrated with our own parish priest Fr. Raymond Joseph Arre, our new parochial vicar Fr. Marti Espenido, and various guest priests. By developing patience in waiting for the birth of our Savior, these votive masses illuminated the way to Christ’s light.

Truly, the advent season taught us to be patient and grateful. We may not know when that second coming will be but we must always remember not to be distracted by the cares of this world; rather, prepare for Christ’s arrival. We must have hope and faith in Him, bring joy to our neighbors, and spread peace to the world. For the Lord said, “Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:1 - 13).