I
think one of the best ways to enter into Advent is to get reacquainted
with the Bible. Many Catholics don’t know the Bible very well. Vatican
II called for a revival in biblical studies, but I don’t think that’s
happened yet, at least among average Catholics.
We
need to understand the great biblical story, beginning with Creation
and the Fall, the formation of Israel, the coming of the prophets and
patriarchs, and finally the formation of a people that leads to the
coming of a savior. It’s only when we get the sweep of that whole story
that we understand why the coming of the savior matters, and what the
coming of the savior even means.
When
you extract Jesus from the biblical narrative, he becomes a mere guru,
teacher, or philosopher. That’s all our culture gives us: Jesus as
another mystic, seer, or sage. But when you see Jesus against the
backdrop of the great story of Israel, now you see that he’s the savior.
So this Advent, I would recommend to all Catholics, open up your Bible and get deeply immersed in the great biblical story.
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