Advent Recollection "Ready To Greet The One Who Comes" A Day of Recollection and Prayer

ADVENT RECOLLECTION
“Ready to Greet the One Who

Comes”
A day of Recollection and Prayer
facilitated by Simon Phillips.

Date: Sat 16th Nov Time: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Venue: Loyola Hall, SFX PJ
A day of prayer and reflection on Holy Scripture in preparation for the Season of Advent.
This day of recollection will centre on the Three Comings of Our Lord, inspired by the writings of the
Mellifluous Doctor, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, whose prayers and teachings continue to inspire
Christians everywhere just as powerfully as his preaching changed the lives of countless Catholics in
the 12th Century. Advent prepares us to receive Christ in our lives daily, just as He came in the Flesh
on the first Christmas, until He comes again. Our preparation for this season may, then, till the soil of
the soul and make it fertile to receive Him.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux says there are three comings: Advent prepares not just for the first coming of Christ to
Israel, or even the second at the end of time. There is a third coming between these two in which Jesus comes in
spirit and power for our rest and consolation.
We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the
other two are visible.
Three Comings of the Lord
In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated
him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced.
The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are
saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit
and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.
Third or Middle Coming
In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our
Lord himself says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to
him. There is another passage of Scripture which reads: He who fears God will do good, but something further has
been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word. Where is God’s word to be kept?
Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against
you.
Keep God’s word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your
whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or
your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.
Our Rest & Consolation
Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the
last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our
rest and consolation.
If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great
Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill
what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly
man. Just as Adam’s sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all,
will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.
About St Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bernard of Clairvaux is clearly one of the greatest preachers of all time. Born to a noble family near Dijon
France in 1090 AD, St. Bernard was inspired by the example of a new religious congregation, the Cistercians, who
had abandoned the relative ease and security of Benedictine monasticism of that day to live according to the
primitive pattern of St. Benedict through hard manual labor, solitude, and rigorous prayer. When St. Bernard
decided to abandon the privilege of noble life to enter the monastery, he brought over 30 noble relatives with
him. Once professed, he was very soon made abbot and went on to found over 40 monasteries in his lifetime. St.
Bernard’s magnetic preaching and exemplary character changed the lives of thousands and his writing continues
today to inspire Christians everywhere. His words were so sweet that he came to be known as the Melifluous
(“full of honey”) Doctor. St. Bernard died in 1153 and was later proclaimed a saint and a Doctor of the Church. His
feast day in the Roman Calendar is August 20.

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ADVENT RECOLLECTION

“Ready to Greet the One Who

facilitated by Simon Phillips.

About St Bernard of Clairvaux

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