1st Sunday of Advent - Year A - The Season of Sacred Waiting & “Seven Songs of Advent”

Friends, this weekend we begin the holy season of Advent, a time in the Church’s year set aside for preparation, anticipation, and joyful hope. Over the next four weeks, two messages will compete for our attention. The one message will come from the world around us—the media, the shops, the advertisements. It will tell us that Christmas is about speed, consumerism, and the “perfect” holiday. We’ll be urged to buy more, to rush more, and to make sure everything is just right, as if happiness can be found in the trappings of the season. But this is “incorrect news.”

The other message, the one that the Church offers us, is a message of preparation, of hope, and of joyful expectation. The Gospel, our prayers, and the liturgies of Advent invite us to prepare a way for the Lord, to make straight a path for Him in our hearts and in our lives. This is our “Good News” and the true message of Advent.

Advent is both an invitation and a challenge. We are called to be alert, to look forward, to be ready—and to wait with expectation, not in a passive way, but with an active, eager longing for Christ. In a world that constantly urges us to move faster, Advent invites us to slow down. It asks us to take time to be still, to prepare our hearts deeply for the birth of Jesus.

While we can’t completely avoid the noise of Christmas shopping, the pressure to spend, and the rush of the holiday season, we are called to tune in to the deeper call of Advent. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Stay awake! Be on your guard, because you never know when the time will come”. Advent is a time to stay awake to the spiritual opportunities around us, to not let the busyness of life cause us to miss the true meaning of this season.

If we get too absorbed in the external preparations—shopping, decorations, events—we risk missing the point of Advent. The call to “stay awake” means paying attention to what truly matters. Advent is a time to reflect, to listen, to open our hearts to God’s quiet invitation. It’s a season to prepare ourselves spiritually, so that when Christmas finally arrives, we are ready to receive the grace and joy of Christ’s birth.

So, this Advent, we invite you to reflect on this question: Am I getting too caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season? If so, how can I adjust my focus to ensure that I am truly preparing a way for the Lord? Remember, Advent is not Christmas. It is a beautiful season of its own, with its own message and grace. Let’s give it the attention it deserves, so that when Christmas comes, it will bring lasting joy and peace to our hearts.

In honor of the first Sunday of Advent, we would like to share our latest compilation video, “Seven Songs of Advent”. These traditional and contemporary sacred songs invite the faithful to prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Highlights include beloved Advent classics such as "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus," "O Come Divine Messiah," "Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus," "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns," as well as newer Advent songs like "Soon and Very Soon," "Prepare the Way of the Lord," and "Come, Jesus Prince of Peace".

Video can be watched by clicking here or by clicking on the thumbnail below.