Episode 3311: Course - Week 1: Advent of Grace: Preparing the Soul for the Coming of Christ

Course: Advent of Grace: Preparing the Soul for the Coming of Christ - Week 1
Happy New Year and a blessed Advent to all of you!
Today marks the beginning of the Liturgical Year, the Church’s sacred calendar through which we journey each year from darkness to light, from expectation to fulfillment, from the manger to the cross and the empty tomb. Advent is the doorway, the threshold, the quiet but powerful invitation to begin again with God.
As the world rushes into noise, shopping, and distraction, Holy Mother Church begins in stillness. She calls us not to celebration but to conversion, not to decoration but to devotion, not merely to remember Christ’s coming, but to long for Him anew.
And so we begin our new year with one of the most beloved seasonal devotions in Catholic tradition the St Andrews Novena the first apostle to join Christ and tell Peter to come the messiah:
Mention The Prayer Itself
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God,
to hear my prayer and grant my desires,
through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ,
and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
15 times a day starting today and ending on Christmas Eve
The Theme of Week One: Awaiting the Promised Redeemer
This First Sunday of Advent teaches us to stand where ancient Israel once stood in darkness, yet waiting for light; in longing, yet trusting in the promise;
in exile, yet hoping for redemption.
Our two Scripture readings lay the whole spiritual landscape of Advent before us:
Awaiting the Promised Redeemer (First Sunday of Advent)
Scripture: Isaiah 9:2–7 • Romans 13:11–14
Saint Reflection: St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Theme: The Virtue of Hope & Watchful Waiting
Lets start with an opening prayer.
OPENING PRAYER
O Lord, stir up Thy power, we beseech Thee, and come:
that from the threatening dangers of our sins we may be rescued by Thy protection,
and saved by Thy deliverance.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
II. SCRIPTURE READING
Read slowly and reverently:
Isaiah 9:2–7
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
Romans 13:11–14
“Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep.”.
These two readings form the foundation of our Week One theme: Hope.
III. LESSON OVERVIEW
This week focuses on Hope, the first virtue of Advent and the first candle on the wreath.
1. The world before Christ was in darkness; man longed for redemption.
Before the Incarnation, mankind was unable to save itself. Paganism, confusion, spiritual blindness, and moral decay filled the world. Humanity needed a Savior.
2. Advent teaches us to long for the Savior again.
The Church intentionally gives us a season that mirrors Israel’s longing.
We relive the cry:
“Come, Lord Jesus!”
3. True hope is confident trust in God’s promises not optimism, but supernatural expectancy.
Hope is not empty positivity.
It is a theological virtue infused by God, giving the soul confidence in His promises.
4. The virtue of hope draws our eyes beyond the present age toward eternal life.
The world distracts us with temporal concerns.
Hope lifts us toward Heaven, toward the eternal Kingdom promised in Isaiah.
These foundational truths frame everything that follows in our two-hour course.
IV. THE ADVENT WREATH & SYMBOLISM OF HOPE
Lighting the first candle the Prophet’s Candle represents the hope of Israel awaiting the Messiah and the hope we must rekindle in our own souls.
Symbolism
• Evergreen → Eternal life
• Circular shape → God’s eternity
• Candlelight → Christ the Light
• Violet color → Penance and preparation
Lighting the candle is a spiritual act:
We proclaim that the darkness will not win.
V. THE DARKNESS OF SIN: WHY ADVENT BEGINS IN THE NIGHT
Why does Advent begin in darkness?
Because without acknowledging the night, we cannot long for the dawn.
This mirrors the condition of Israel before Christ and the state of the modern world today.
Modern Parallels
• Relativism
• Confusion within the Church
• Family breakdown
• Loss of faith
• Moral collapse
The world is once again walking in darkness and Advent calls us to recognize it honestly.
Hope arises when we confront the truth:
We need a Savior.
We need grace.
We need Christ.
VI. SCRIPTURE STUDY — ISAIAH 9:2–7
Full: The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen.
3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and hast not increased the joy. They shall rejoice before Thee, as they that rejoice in the harvest, and as conquerors rejoicing after taking a prey.
4 For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor, Thou hast overcome, as in the day of Madian.
5 For every violent taking of spoils, with tumult, and garment mingled with blood, shall be burnt, and be fuel for the fire.
6 For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, and the government is upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.
7 His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom; to establish it, and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Context
Isaiah prophesied during a time of moral decay and spiritual blindness. This passage foretells the coming Messiah who will dispel the darkness.
Key Points for Study
• Light breaking through darkness - Christ the Redeemer
• “Unto us a child is born” - The Incarnation
• Titles of Christ - Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God
• Eternal Kingship - “Of His kingdom there shall be no end”
Advent Meaning
These verses are not poetic sentiment.
They are God’s solemn promise that He will not abandon His people.
VII. SCRIPTURE STUDY — ROMANS 13:11–14
Full: Romans 13:11–14 (Douay–Rheims)
11 And that, knowing the season; that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences
Key Themes
• Spiritual wakefulness
• Casting off works of darkness
• Rejecting the flesh and its disorderly desires
• “Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ”
• Urgency in the spiritual life
Advent Meaning
Advent is a spiritual alarm clock.
It calls us to vigilance and immediate conversion.
Hope is not passive it demands transformation.
VIII. SAINT REFLECTION — ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX
We know of three comings of the Lord:
the first in the flesh,
the second in the soul,
the third at judgment.”
— St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard’s Three Comings
1. In the Flesh — Bethlehem, the Incarnation
2. In the Soul — Grace entering the heart
3. At Judgment — Christ’s glorious return
Why This Matters
St. Bernard teaches that Advent is not merely historical.
It is ongoing and future-oriented.
Christ must come into our souls now if we are to be ready when He comes in glory.
IX. ADVENT & THE SPIRITUAL LIFE — WATCHFULNESS, REPENTANCE, HOPE
Watchfulness
Be attentive to grace, avoid spiritual sleep.
Repentance
Advent uses violet for a reason—penance purifies hope.
Hope
True hope is not weak; it is the anchor of the soul.
Advent reorients the heart toward Heaven.
X. PRACTICAL ADVENT PRACTICES
Weekly Practice
Light the first candle of the Advent wreath.
Make a nightly examination of conscience.
Offer your week for those living in spiritual darkness.
Additional Practices
• Set aside 10 minutes of silence daily
• Pray a decade of the Rosary focused on the coming of Christ
• Attend Confession this week if possible
All practices strengthen the virtue of hope.
XI. CLOSING MEDITATION & PRAYER
Meditation:
As the candle burns, reflect on what areas of your life are still in darkness.
What sins, attachments, or fears prevent Christ’s light from entering fully?
Closing Prayer:
Come, Lord Jesus.
Dispel the shadows within us.
Awaken our souls from sleep.
Kindle in us the fire of hope,
that we may be ready for Your coming. Amen.
XII. DISCUSSION & REFLECTION QUESTIONS (for groups or individuals)
1. In what ways have you allowed worldly concerns to dull your hope?
2. How can you rekindle a longing for Heaven during Advent?
3. What practical ways can you “rise from sleep” this week?
These can be used immediately after the session or as daily reflection prompts.
XIII. Q&A SESSION
Below are prepared responses for a live Q&A segment.
Q1: Why does the Church begin Advent with darkness?
Because Advent mirrors Israel’s long night. Recognizing darkness helps us long for the Light Christ our Redeemer.
Q2: Why is hope considered a theological virtue?
Because hope is infused by God, enabling us to trust His promises and look toward Heaven with supernatural confidence.
Q3: What does St. Paul mean by “rise from sleep”?
He means spiritual lethargy indifference, procrastination, worldliness. Advent calls us back to alertness and conversion.
Q4: Why is St. Bernard essential for understanding Advent?
His teaching on the three comings of Christ gives structure to the entire season: past, present, and future.
Q5: What is the most important Advent practice?
A sincere examination of conscience and a good confession. Without interior preparation, all external traditions lose meaning.
Q6: How do we cultivate hope in a dark world?
Through prayer, Scripture, penance, and frequent meditation on eternal life. Hope grows when we detach from worldly noise.
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Verse 1
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.