The Anchoress
“Advent” does not mean “expectation” as some may think. It is a translation of the Greek word parousia, which means “presence” or, more accurately, “arrival,” i.e. the beginning of a presence. In antiquity the word was a technical term for the presence of a king or ruler and also of the god being worshipped, who bestows his parousia upon his devotees for a time. “Advent”, then, means a presence begun, the presence being that of God.
— Pope Benedict XVI, Dogma and Preaching (from the excellent compilation, Benedictus; Day by Day with Pope Benedict XVI)
It’s copyrighted, so I can’t quote much more, but I am loving this incredible book of daily reading compiled by the editors of Magnificat Magazine. I actually liked yesterday’s reading even better, but then I always find Pope Benedict to be both informative and accessible, and a pleasure to read.
My podcast of Vespers for tonight can be found here. Forgive the way my voice fades in and out. If it sounds like I was holding back coughs, well…I was. But I edited out all the really vile-sounding “there she goes, bringing up another lung” sounds. Thanks for bearing with my poor efforts!
This morning’s Advent Musings
Advent, The Coming of Love
If you’re interested in the Benedict book (it’s quite prettily put together, and would make a nice gift), I found some sellers through Amazon.
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