My Beloved Parishioners,

As we enter this great season of Advent, I center the theme of our reflection: Hear the Herald’s Voice Resounding a title of an advent hymn which original Latin title is “Vox clara ecce intonat.” This Advent hymn of an unknown author has been around since the 5th Century in the Church and is sometimes incorrectly attributed to St. Ambrose, but modern scholarship considers it not Ambrosian.

With our grand entrance into the season of Advent, this ancient hymn rises once again with striking clarity: “Hear the herald’s voice resounding!” These opening words of our considered hymn serve as both a summons and a challenge and its message remains as urgent today as it was in the early Church: Wake up. Prepare. The Lord is near.

In this hymn, the herald’s cry is unmistakably the voice of John the Baptist, the great forerunner whose proclamation dominates the Advent season. His voice reverberates across time, calling humanity to cast off darkness, embrace repentance, and ready the heart for the coming of Christ. In our age filled with digital noise, commercial distractions, and a thousand competing voices, this ancient call pierces through the clutter with refreshing precision: Prepare the way of the Lord. This ancient hymn’s message is the perfect anchor for this season. It links us to the faith of centuries, reminding us of that Christians across time have sung these same words, longed for the same Savior, and awaited the same dawn of salvation.

Advent, derived from the Latin adventus — “coming” or “arrival”—is the Church’s season of holy expectation. It marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, thus inviting us into four weeks of hope-filled waiting. We prepare not only to celebrate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, but also to recognize His quiet presence in our daily lives and to remain vigilant for His glorious return at the end of time. Thus, Advent holds together three comings of Christ: He has come, He comes now, and He will come again.

The four Sundays of Advent guide us through a spiritual journey marked by Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. The First Sunday awakens us with hope— Christ is our unfailing promise. The Second leads us into peace—Christ alone reconciles and restores. The Third, Gaudete Sunday, bursts with joy—symbolized by rose-colored vestments, inviting us to rejoice because the Lord is near. The Fourth draws us into love—the love of God made flesh in the Incarnation. In our churches, we symbolize the four-week period of Advent with a wreath ornamented with four candles. The beloved Advent wreath symbolizes God’s eternal presence; its four candles—three purple and one rose—mark our steady movement from darkness toward Christ’s radiant light. Many wreaths include a fifth candle, the white Christ Candle, lit at Christmas to proclaim that the Light of the World has come.

Regardless, this sacred season often competes with the tempo of modern life. Long before Advent begins, the world has already entered into frenzied Christmas commercialism. Shopping, parties, deadlines, and digital noise threaten to overshadow the spiritual quiet that Advent invites. Here, the hymn’s cry becomes even more relevant: “Hear the herald’s voice resounding!” It calls us to slow down, to silence distractions, and to prepare our hearts for something far greater than mere holiday celebration. Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas; it is a deliberate turning toward Christ.

The Church invites us into three essential Advent practices: Prayer, to create space for God’s presence; Repentance, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation, to purify our hearts; Charity, to extend Christ’s love to the poor, the lonely, and the marginalized. These practices help us hear the herald’s voice more clearly, allowing Advent to reshape our lives from within.

Hear the herald’s voice resounding! The Lord is near. Prepare His way. A blessed and fruitful Advent to you all.

BACK TO LIST