The Latin "Advent" is the Latin translation of the Greek word, "Parousia" that does not mean "expectation" of the end of the world, or even simply "expectation," but "arrival" or "the beginning of a presence." Etymologically, it means the “arrival” of the King who bestows his parousia, on his devotees for a time. However, he is not yet present in all His glory [Cf. Ratzinger, "Dogma and Preaching" Franciscan Herald Press (1985) 71-71].
Christ lives and is active in the world. We are not awaiting His action but already benefiting from it. Its full deployment depends on our capacity to ask for it and receive it. Nevertheless, He is continuously active in the world as He is continuously present in the world. We cannot see Him because we are not sufficiently like Him yet. We will see and recognize Him to the extent that we subjectively get out of ourselves – creating space as our Lady did – such that He can dwell in us and we can say: “I live; no, not I ; Christ lives in me” (Gal 2, 20).
Notice that this eschatology that is the text of Lumen Gentium below, and also the grounding theological insight of Joseph Ratzinger, is also the charism received by St. Josemaria Escriva with the locution of August 7, 1931: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself” – not in the sense that Scripture says it. I say it to you in the sense that you place me at the summit of all human activities, by becoming Me, by becoming “other Christs.”
Lumen Gentium #48: Christ, having been lifted up from the earth has drawn all to Himself.(239) Rising from the dead(240) He sent His life-giving Spirit upon His disciples and through Him has established His Body which is the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation. Sitting at the right hand of the Father, He is continually active in the world that He might lead men to the Church and through it join them to Himself and that He might make them partakers of His glorious life by nourishing them with His own Body and Blood. Therefore the promised restoration which we are awaiting has already begun in Christ, is carried forward in the mission of the Holy Spirit and through Him continues in the Church in which we learn the meaning of our terrestrial life through our faith, while we perform with hope in the future the work committed to us in this world by the Father, and thus work out our salvation.(241)
Already the final age of the world has come upon us (242) and the renovation of the world is irrevocably decreed and is already anticipated in some kind of a real way; for the Church already on this earth is signed with a sanctity which is real although imperfect. However, until there shall be new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells,(243) the pilgrim Church in her sacraments and institutions, which pertain to this present time, has the appearance of this world which is passing and she herself dwells among creatures who groan and travail in pain until now and await the revelation of the sons of God.(244)
the world. We cannot see Him because we are not sufficiently like Him yet. We will see and recognize Him to the extent that we subjectively get out of ourselves – creating space – such that He can dwell in us and we can say: “I live; no, not I ; Christ lives in me” (Gal 2, 20).
Notice that this eschatology that is the text of Lumen Gentium below, and also the grounding theological insight of Joseph Ratzinger, is also the charism received by St. Josemaria Escriva with the locution of August 7, 1931: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself” – not in the sense that Scripture says it. I say it to you in the sense that you place me at the summit of all human activities, by becoming Me, by becoming “other Christs.”
Lumen Gentium #48: Christ, having been lifted up from the earth has drawn all to Himself.(239) Rising from the dead(240) He sent His life-giving Spirit upon His disciples and through Him has established His Body which is the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation. Sitting at the right hand of the Father, He is continually active in the world that He might lead men to the Church and through it join them to Himself and that He might make them partakers of His glorious life by nourishing them with His own Body and Blood. Therefore the promised restoration which we are awaiting has already begun in Christ, is carried forward in the mission of the Holy Spirit and through Him continues in the Church in which we learn the meaning of our terrestrial life through our faith, while we perform with hope in the future the work committed to us in this world by the Father, and thus work out our salvation.(241)
Already the final age of the world has come upon us (242) and the renovation of the world is irrevocably decreed and is already anticipated in some kind of a real way; for the Church already on this earth is signed with a sanctity which is real although imperfect. However, until there shall be new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells,(243) the pilgrim Church in her sacraments and institutions, which pertain to this present time, has the appearance of this world which is passing and she herself dwells among creatures who groan and travail in pain until now and await the revelation of the sons of God.(244)
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