Our Lady of the New Advent
One
I grew up in Denver, Colorado, and lived there for over 30 years. Most people don’t know about a special Feast Day of Our Lady that is only celebrated in Denver, Our Lady of the New Advent. In the early 1990’s, a Jesuit priest designed and wrote an Icon, per the request of Denver’s Archbishop, called Our Lady of the New Advent. This Icon was presented to St. John Paul II for World Youth Day in 1993, where he gave permission for the feast day, celebrated on Dec. 16. The Icon is filled with symbolism and imagery particular to Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are in the background of the image, while Jesus holds a columbine, the state flower of Colorado. But of all the aspects of the Icon, I find myself most attracted to the title “Our Lady of the New Advent”. What does this title mean? It means that the faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary was expectant. She didn’t merely believe in God and that He leads and directs His people from afar. Nor was she just willing to do God’s will without fear of getting it wrong or setting the bar too high; rather, she believed and expected that God would do something directly, immediately, and amazingly…with her. She expected the miraculous fulfillment of God’s word, and as a result, she was expecting with the Word of God made flesh who makes all things new!
From the diary of St Faustina: (1420)
“I saw the Lord Jesus, exposed in the Monstrance. In place of the Monstrance I saw the glorious face of the Lord, and He said to me, "What you see in reality these souls see through faith. Oh, how pleasing to Me is their great faith! You see, although there appears to be no trace of life in Me, in reality it is present in its fullness in each and every Host. But for Me to be able to act upon the soul, the soul must have faith. O how pleasing to Me is living faith! (1420)
Two
At the first advent In Luke’s Gospel, Mary reveals to us the proper response to this coming: to rejoice in God our Savior! (cf. Lk 1:47.) There is something peculiar in this Denver title of Our Lady, though. She has always been known as Our Lady of Advent. This icon, however, introduces her as Our Lady of the New Advent. What is New about this Advent in this icon? In the first advent, Our Lady expected God to be manifest in an original and particular way at Christmas. The artist for this icon, Fr. McNichols, draws our attention to a new advent; a second advent, for the Second coming of Christ! This icon and title calls each of us to have expectant faith, like the Virgin Mother’s, expecting Jesus to return with victory! Jesus spoke to Faustina of Living faith. This is what it means to have living faith. To look for wonders even miracles not just as past events for a lucky few, but as a promise to us individually as we respond to God’s love with faith. The New Advent is certainly the ultimate second coming, but it is also the coming of Jesus into each of our lives, mine and yours, in a particular, beautiful, miraculous way.
Three
My life and heart were changed in the fall of 1989 when a woman named Charlotte witnessed to me how her life changed due to a miraculous encounter of the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje. While Char spoke and offered her witness, her words entered my heart with fire; a fire that freed me from that shackles of sin and unbelief that gripped me, and the light of faith began to burn in me for the first time in my life! I knew that her words were true, that I needed to repent, and through Char, the Blessed Mother spoke to me. I knew that I was her son, too.
Mary is calling you and I to be a new advent; to cease sitting on the sidelines and instead get into the fight and be living witnesses of Christ’s coming to set the world on fire. “I come to set the world on fire; I wish it were already burning.” (Lk 12:49.)
Four
Icons and sacred images often reveal the localized and particular way Our Lord and Our Lady wish to reveal themselves—as relevant and alive to the people of that culture and time. The Black Madonna, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Kibeho, etc. are some examples of how Jesus and Our Lady incarnate themselves in imagery to show they are not merely first century Palestinians, but are alive and active here and now. They are interested in you and me! They want to speak to us and teach us their plan for our life that exceeds our wildest goals. Open your heart right now to accept them, to receive an announcement of a new advent, and to prepare for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart with prayer and conversion.
Five
With advent dawning upon us, let us prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas by adding more prayer time for Advent, and lessening behaviors that cultivate desires for the world and its passing riches. Let’s be expectant and repentant so to receive a renewed outpouring of grace at this time and this place so that this Christmas can be the most joy filled and peace-filled Christmas ever. And, our Movement needs precisely this kind of joyful Christian, this kind of joyful and expectant soldier, to fight against the devil and his sad reign, and to rescue, to rescue souls who have fallen for his false promises and worldly allures. Please join me in this movement to fight and to rescue, to be signs of a New Advent that will bring a new and permanent Christmas!
Let’s close with the prayer written by Benedictine Sisters of Walburga in Colorado for the icon of Our Lady of the New Advent in 1991.
O Lady and Mother of the One who was and is and is to come, dawn of the New Jerusalem, we earnestly beseech you, bring us by your intercession so to live in love that the Church, the Body of Christ, may stand in this world’s darkness as fiery icon of the New Jerusalem. We ask you to obtain for us this mercy through Jesus Christ, your Son and Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.