Advent is THE light of the world, hidden in the Virgin Mary’s womb

For Brother Francis Huot, a Benedictine monk in charge of the Our Lady of Longeborgne Hermitage (Switzerland), Advent is very special: "I love the season of Advent because it is a time of hope."

Brother Francis has lived in that hermitage above the village of Bramois for the past ten years. Bramois is an important pilgrimage destination in southwestern Switzerland. Since the beginning of the 16th century—maybe even earlier—pilgrims have been going there to entrust their joys and sorrows to Our Lady of Compassion and to St Anthony of Padua. When asked, “How do you experience the spiritual dimension of Advent?” Brother Francis answered:

"I see Advent as a budding life, hidden like a baby growing in the womb. It is a light that rises and that we can only see through hope and the certainty of faith. But it is more than a light: it is THE light of the world, hidden in the Virgin Mary’s womb. In Mary, God is thus already present in our midst. It is up to us to discover him, to be aware of the mystery that is taking place. It's about opening up our ears to the secret that he whispers to our hearts, asking us to prepare ourselves to welcome him.

And we must not forget that it is also a time of preparation for the return of Christ. Jesus, still an infant (etymology in-fans: who cannot speak), is already the Word of God in his silence, and filled with the Holy Spirit. He comes to bring us back to the Father, to hasten the day of his last Advent (Coming) where, having fulfilled all the prophecies of the first Covenant and having submitted to all things, he will submit to the Father, to take us into the eternal Covenant and immerse us forever in the life of God."

Adapted from: cath.ch