Our Advent season ends this week with the short observance of the fourth Sunday of Advent because in less than a day, we will be celebrating Christmas Eve and enter into another liturgical season, the Christmas Season. This rarely happens - about every five years. And as we are presented with this situation, maybe we are entertaining the thought of whether we should attend mass once or twice this Sunday. This can be a valid thought but I think what is important to consider is am I giving what is due to God and not being legalistic.
Yes, we may go to mass twice this Sunday in observance of the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve later in the day, but it will make a difference if we are attending mass out of love for God. If God has been so good to us in so many ways, can we not reciprocate His goodness by also being good and showing our appreciation and gratitude towards Him in return? And I believe that the best way to express our gratitude and appreciation to God is by attending Church, being one with the celebration of the mass, and participating with the community of believers.
Therefore, our attending Mass becomes meaningful because we do not see it just as part of an obligation that we need to fulfill, but also a way to express our love and thanks to God with our family and loved ones together with the community gathered.
This Sunday, though we have a short celebration of the fourth Sunday of Advent, we can still observe it in a more solemn way by doing the traditional lighting of the candles in our advent wreath and remembering its message. We relight the candles of hope, faith and joy. And we light the fourth candle that is purple to symbolize peace and to remind us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men”.
Finally, as we come to celebrate Christmas, may we see the love of God to us through His Son being born for us. His birth certainly gives joy to us and strengthens our faith because we have a God who became one with us, assuming our human nature. We can hope that this baby Jesus will bring light and meaning into our life once we welcome Him and have Him become part of our life.
This Christmas, let us join the choirs of angels, singing in exultation.
Glory to God, all glory in the highest. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!