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Last Saturday evening in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI observed the opening of the new liturgical year by presiding over the celebration of First Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent.  Below you can read the homily he preached to the assembled faithful.

FIRST VESPERS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 28, 2009

Dear brothers and sisters,

With this evening celebration we enter the liturgical time of Advent. In the biblical reading we just heard, taken from the First Letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul invites us to prepare for the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23), keeping ourselves irreproachable, with the grace of God. Paul uses, in fact, the word “coming,” in Latin adventus, from whence comes the term Advent.

Let us reflect briefly on the meaning of this word, which can be translated as “presence,” “arrival,” “coming.” In the language of the ancient world it was a technical term used to indicate the arrival of a functionary or the visit of a king or emperor to a province. But it could also indicate the coming of the divinity, which goes out of concealment to manifest itself with power, or which is celebrated as present in worship. Christians adopted the word “advent” to express their relationship with Jesus Christ: Jesus is King, who has entered into this poor “province” called earth to visit everyone; he brings to participate in his advent those who believe in him, all those who believe in his presence in the liturgical assembly. With the word adventus an attempt was made essentially to say: God is here, he has not withdrawn from the world, he has not left us alone. Although we cannot see or touch him, as is the case with tangible realities, he is here and comes to visit us in multiple ways.

The meaning of the expression “advent” includes therefore also that of visitatio, which means simply and properly “visit”; in this case it is a visit of God: He enters my life and wants to address me. We all experience in daily life having little time for the Lord and little time for ourselves. We end up by being absorbed in “doing.” Is it not true that often activity possesses us, that society with its many interests monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we dedicate much time to amusements and leisure of different kinds? Sometimes things “trap” us.

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When the prince of pastors comes again,
you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed John was born near Vercelli, Italy, at the beginning of the thirteenth century. While a professor of law at the University of Paris he was attracted to the Order by Blessed Jordan of Saxony. He was, in turn, a prior, a provincial, and the sixth Master of the Order (1264-1283). He often consulted Saint Thomas Aquinas on theological matters and defended his doctrine. He was present at the Council of Lyons, where he accepted for the Dominican Order the commission ot promote reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus. He was responsible for commissioning Nicolai Pisani to sculpt a marble tomb for the remains of Saint Dominic. In his visitations he zealously promoted the life of study, poverty and evangelical preaching. He died at Montpellier on November 30, 1283. He is considered the patron of the Holy Name Society established in 1432.

There is a shrine dedicated to Blessed John of Vercelli located in St. Dominic’s Church in New Orleans.  Click here for the shrine’s website, on which you can read a fuller sketch of Blessed John’s life.

God of power and mercy,
you made Blessed John an outstanding promoter
of the Order of Preachers.
By his remarkable zeal, his wonderful prudence and his courage,
and with the help of his prayers
may your family always and everywhere
be governed by beneficial rule.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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