ADVENT
2025 (Lectio Divina -Year A)
Presentation
of the Word of God in the Liturgy
Introduction
To celebrate Advent is to recognize the continual coming of God in the light
of our experience of the Lord who has already come. Advent invites us to
rejoice in the Lord who freely comes to us, and to live in the hope of His
manifestation. The mystery of the hidden God cannot be measured, yet His
promises through the prophets shine forth with splendour: “a banquet of
rich foods,” “the wolf shall graze with the lamb,” “God will wipe away the
tears from every face, and death shall be no more.”
These promises are not merely poetic images but a call to be moved, to be
shaken by God’s vision, and to work towards their fulfilment in our world—a
fulfilment that is already present in God’s plan. In our times of anxiety and
uncertainty, Christian hope becomes a seed of trust, an opening of horizons. It
calls us, personally and as a community, to enter into the generous logic of
God, our merciful Father.
The Lectionary for Advent offers us a kind of Lectio Divina,
leading us through biblical readings that open onto a magnificent panorama of
the “last things”—the time when God will put away the “old” realities and
create something entirely new, beyond our imagination. Christian hope, then,
does not remain bound by daily struggles; it lifts our vision to the greater
promises of God. It urges us to “prepare the way of the Lord” in the ordinary
steps of our lives, without ever losing sight of the new heaven and new earth
promised by God: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Is
65:17).
Watchfulness
and Responsibility
The apocalyptic language of Scripture does not
provide us with a timetable for the end but rather calls us to vigilance:
“You do not know the day nor the hour ... keep watch, for the Son of Man is
coming” (Mt 24:37–44). This vigilance is not passive waiting but active
preparation: “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3; Mk 1:3), “The
Lord is at hand; repent” (Phil 4:5; Mt 3:2).
As Christians, we live by the Gospel of hope.
We are not only receivers of salvation but also its heralds, called to be “signs
and bearers of God’s love for all people.” Like the prophet, we too can
echo: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor” (Is 61:1; cf. Lk 4:16–21). Advent is therefore
a time of responsibility—of welcoming God’s gift of salvation personally, and
preparing the way for others to encounter Him.
Models of Advent Attitudes
Isaiah
– The Prophet of Hope
Isaiah’s encounter with the Holy God in the temple
(Is 6:1–8) purified his lips and heart and set him on fire with prophetic
mission. He proclaimed the faithfulness of God and called Israel to conversion.
Through vivid imagery, Isaiah painted God’s promises for Advent: “The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:2), “A shoot shall
spring from the stump of Jesse” (Is 11:1), “The virgin shall conceive
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is 7:14).
During the exile, the “Second Isaiah” renewed hope
with messages of peace and comfort: “Comfort, O comfort my people” (Is
40:1), and the vision of a new creation: “Behold, I am doing a new thing”
(Is 43:19). Isaiah thus becomes the evangelist of Advent, announcing
both judgment and consolation, and above all, God-with-us.
John
the Baptist – The Voice of Preparation
John the Baptist stands as the bridge between
prophecy and fulfilment. Living a life of fasting and prayer, he fulfills
Isaiah’s prophecy: “A voice cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way of
the Lord” (Is 40:3; Mk 1:3). The New Testament widens this call:
preparation is not only in the desert but in every aspect of life.
John preached repentance, saying: “Make straight
the paths of the Lord” (Mt 3:3), and directed his disciples toward Jesus,
humbly confessing: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).
His mission ended in silence and martyrdom, making him a witness of truth
who prepared hearts for the Lamb of God.
Mary –
The Model of Advent Waiting
Mary embodies the perfect attitude of
watchfulness and responsibility. She opened her heart fully to God’s Word: “Behold,
I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word”
(Lk 1:38). In her, the Word took flesh—heart, body, and blood—and she became
the living Ark of the Covenant.
Her Magnificat (Lk 1:46–55) proclaims God’s
faithfulness and exalts His justice, lifting up the lowly and filling the
hungry with good things. Mary shows us that Advent is not a passive waiting but
an active cooperation with God’s plan, lived out “with all our heart,
with all our soul, and with all our strength” (Deut 6:5).
For this reason, Advent and Christmas form the true
Marian season, as in Mary’s waiting and surrender, we learn how God’s
promise becomes reality when accepted with faith and love.
Conclusion
Advent watchfulness is not fear of the unknown but
hope in the promises of God. Our responsibility is to walk in the footsteps of
Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Mary—announcing hope, preparing the way, and
welcoming Christ with hearts ready to say “yes.”
Two
Moments of Advent 2025
(Lectio Divina with the Lectionary for Weekdays)
- November 30 – December 16
During this first period of Advent, the emphasis is on the problems, joys, and expectations of humanity (cf. Gaudium et Spes). The Old Testament readings present the cry of desperate hearts and the promise of a new land. The Gospel passages echo these themes and offer a timely response through the actions of Jesus—who multiplies bread, heals the sick, forgives sins, and restores hope. - December 17 – 24
As Christmas draws near, the focus shifts to the New Testament, particularly the Infancy Narratives (Mt 1; Lk 1). Here we contemplate the announcement to Mary, the expectation of Jesus’ birth, and the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. In this stage, the event of Jesus becomes the centre: He “draws to Himself” the words, promises, and themes of the First Testament, bringing them to completion in His incarnation.
SCHEME
OF SUNDAY READINGS
(Lectio Divina: Year A)
First Sunday – Be alert, be ready for His coming (30 November 2025)
- Is 2:1-5: The Lord unites all peoples in peace
- Ps 122:1-2, 4-9: Let us go to the house of the Lord
- Rom 13:11-14: Our salvation is nearer now than when
we first believed
- Mt 24:37-44: Watch, for you do not know on what day
your Lord is coming
Second Sunday – Welcome one another (7 December 2025)
- Is 11:1-10: He shall judge the poor with justice
- Ps 72:2, 7-8, 12-13, 17: In His days may the
righteous flourish
- Rom 15:4-9: Jesus Christ saves all people
- Mt 3:1-12: Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!
Third Sunday – Rejoice: Deliverance is near (14 December 2025 – Gaudete Sunday)
- Is 35:1-6, 8-10: Our God comes to save
- Ps 146:7-10: The Lord sets the prisoners free
- Jas 5:7-10: Establish your hearts, for the coming of
the Lord is near
- Mt 11:2-11: Are you the one who is to come, or
should we look for another?
Fourth Sunday – Emmanuel: God with us (21 December 2025)
- Is 7:10-14: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear
a son
- Ps 24:1-6: Let the Lord enter; He is the King of
glory
- Rom 1:1-7: Jesus Christ, descended from David, is
the Son of God
- Mt 1:18-24: Jesus is born of Mary, betrothed to
Joseph, of the lineage of David
Some Liturgical Suggestions for Advent Celebration 2025
Liturgy of the Word:
The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum
(approved 18 November 1965), emphasizes that Sacred Scripture should become the
soul of theology, the food of faith, and the foundation of
prayer and spiritual life. While much progress has been made, there remains
work to fully integrate the Word of God into the life of the Church (DV 21
& 25).
Beginning the New Liturgical Year with the Sunday
Lectionary, especially the Gospel according to St. Matthew, offers a
wonderful opportunity to immerse the faithful in the richness of Scripture—what
Ernest Renan called “the best book ever written.”
Hymns for Advent:
Special attention should be given to the traditional Advent hymns:
- Benedictus:
A beautiful synthesis of the “story of hope,” reminding us that God
remembers His covenant.
- Magnificat:
Expresses the joy of “new hope,” for in Jesus we see that God has
faithfully fulfilled His mercy.
Advent Wreath
The circular shape of the wreath reminds us of God’s eternal love
and unending mercy, while the evergreen branches signify everlasting
life and hope. As the light of the candles gradually increases, it
calls the faithful to spiritual preparation, reflection, and joyful
expectation for the celebration of Christ’s birth and His promised
return.
COLLECTS ON
SUNDAYS: A Summary of the Theology and Spirituality of Advent
I SUNDAY of Advent-(30 November 2025)
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet
your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right
hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. Through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
II SUNDAY of Advent (7 December 2025)
Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out
in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us
admittance to his company. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
III SUNDAY of Advent (14 December 2025 – Gaudete Sunday)
O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity,
enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate
them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. Who lives and reigns with
you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
IV SUNDAY of Advent -(21 December 2025)
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
The Lord will come
and he will not delay.
He will illumine
what is hidden in darkness and reveal himself to all nations
(Hab 2:3; 1 Cor
4:5)
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