John Keble (1792-1866), initiator of the Oxford Movement, of which Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is a child, penned this remarkable hymn in 1822.
New every morning is the love
our wakening and uprising prove;
through sleep and darkness safely brought,
restored to life and power and thought.
New mercies, each returning day,
hover around us while we pray;
new perils past, new sins forgiven,
new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.
If on our daily course our mind
be set to hallow all we find,
new treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.
The trivial round, the common task,
will furnish all we need to ask,
room to deny ourselves, a road
to bring us daily nearer God.
Only, O Lord, in thy dear love
fit us for perfect rest above;
and help us, this and every day,
to live more nearly as we pray. (The Hymnal 1982, #10)
Keble’s hymn is not an Advent hymn per se, but it certainly encapsulates a prominent theme of Advent: newness. Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year. But even more than this, Advent is a season in which to reflect on the newness of God’s mercy that we encounter in the act of repentance.
Advent is famously the season of the Church year in which we hear the incisive call of the prophets to turn from wickedness back to the ways of God. John the Baptist points to Jesus the Christ, who is the newness of God enfleshed. Indeed, the coming of God into our lives, of which we’re reminded during Advent, occurs on three levels: the coming of Christ at Christmas; the coming of Christ at the end of time (the Second Coming); and the coming of Christ every day,—“every morning,” to quote Keble—into our lives. Each of these “comings” is a moment in which the freshness of God—the one who makes all things new—intersects with the oldness and tiredness of our quotidian existence. Advent is itself a relatively short season, but it’s an intense one. Advent is an extended wake-up call, to be alert and energetically aware of God’s challenging call on our lives, to live each second into the newness of God.
There may be no better way to celebrate Advent than to reflect on the theme of God’s newness. A month before people traditionally make New Year’s resolutions, the beginning of Advent is an invitation to press restart on our spiritual lives. Because God makes all things new, there’s no moment in our lives that’s incapable of redemption. Every second is an opportunity to turn in repentance back to God. This is quite unlike what we’re used to, where we’re defined by our worst failures or branded with pejorative labels for life or consigned to inferior status based on one moment. Our world is egregiously unforgiving, a world where we are perpetually “stuck.” The good news that the Church must tell is that the unforgiveness of our world is a lie; it’s wrong.
So, this Advent, will you embrace the newness of our vocation as followers of our Lord? If you’ve fallen away from the Church for whatever reason, you’re not judged by this community. You’re loved, and especially, you are loved by God. Return to the arms of the Church, because every moment is fresh and new. God is always standing with open arms to receive you into his loving embrace.
If you’re tired or lonely or anxious for whatever reason, look for the light of Christ this Advent. As the days grow shorter and get darker earlier, keep your eyes on Christ’s light as a call to newness of life. If you’re rejoicing or happy or content, keep your eye on Christ’s light, too, and remain open to his continual call on your life.
If regularity in prayer and public worship has been difficult for you recently, consider this Advent as a chance to renew your life of prayer. The Mass is the liturgical action in which we encounter Christ’s newness most acutely.
If you are troubled by sin or by conscience, I encourage you to avail yourself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (private confession/the reconciliation of a penitent). This sacrament is available at any time by appointment with me (or of course, with another priest). This sacrament is a vivid encounter with the newness of God’s mercy.
Advent is a season of intentionality, and this requires prioritizing our daily lives to some extent. I draw your attention to our upcoming Advent Quiet Day, led by Bonnie Hoffman-Adams on “Praying with Icons.” You may register online. And I hope you will attend our annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 15 at 3 p.m., sung by our adult choir and children choristers. Advent is a season of marvelous hymns, music, and anthems.
I hope to see you this Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, as we give thanks for the newness of God’s mercy and love. In Keble’s beautiful words, The trivial round, the common task,/will furnish all we need to ask,/room to deny ourselves, a road/to bring us daily nearer God.”
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle