The first candle is the Prophet’s Candle
With Thanksgiving behind us, we turn our attention towards Christmas. We call this season of anticipation for the coming of Our Lord in the Incarnation, “Advent.” Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, with each Sunday having its own theme represented by one of the four candles on the Advent wreath. Starting on the first Sunday of Advent, we light the first violet “Prophet’s Candle,” which symbolizes Hope.
Hope means having the desire for something and the expectation of obtaining it. Hope, therefore requires two things: desire and expectation. Without one or the other, we can’t call a feeling “hope”. For instance, I can desire a pet elephant, but I can’t really expect to have one because it’s illegal to own such an animal. Therefore, I can’t realistically say that I hope to have an elephant someday. Similarly, I can expect to receive a ticket for breaking a traffic law, but I don’t desire that. Obviously, nobody walks around telling their friends they hope they get a parking ticket. But if I desire to get a dog, and I have the means to acquire one, I can reasonably hope to get a dog one day.
God reveals to us through Sacred Scripture that we have reason to Hope in eternal life. As John the Evangelist wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” God makes us a promise: if we follow the teachings of Jesus, we can expect eternal life from God who is the source of all life and goodness. We ought to desire eternity with God. Prior to Christianity, the idea of spending eternity in the company of any god seemed ridiculous. But Jesus adds the second part of our formula for hope: the expectation of receiving it. With the promises of Our Lord, we can reasonably Hope for eternal life.
In addition to hoping for eternal life, we also hope in a resurrection of the body. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Jesus didn’t just rise ‘spiritually’ from the dead, He rose bodily from the dead. He walked around, ate food, and embraced His disciples. If we can expect a resurrection like His, we can expect to receive glorified bodies like his.
This first week of Advent, let us reflect upon the hope we have for the promises of God.
Icon of the Prophet Elijah by Fyodor Zubov (1672)
Chris Tarantino is the Communications Director for TOBET. He studied History at The University at Texas A&M and has written for the Tennessee Register and Nashville Catholic.
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