M. Titus Mohan –
Every time I travel by tram in Milan, I am reminded of two simple but profound truths. A tram moves slowly along the same road as every other vehicle, yet rarely is it overtaken. Cars, bikes, and buses must wait behind it. If you choose this road, you must wait. And when the tram finally arrives at your stop, you simply welcome it and step in. It opens its doors only halfway and stops only at designated destinations – never before, never after. This everyday experience captures the heart of Advent.
Two Advent Rhythms
Advent is the season; Christ is the reason. It is a season of waiting and a reason for hoping, a season of giving and a reason for living. The word Advent comes from the Latin verb advenire (ad – “to,” venire – “come”), meaning “coming,” “arrival,” or “approach.” If someone is coming, someone else must wait. The idea of “coming” automatically creates a relationship. One could say that “man is alive as long as he waits, as long as hope is alive in his heart. And from his expectations man recognizes himself: our moral and spiritual “stature” can be measured by what we wait for, by what we hope for” (Pope Benedict XVI, Nov 28, 2010). When we say, “HE is coming,” it implies, in a theological sense, expectation, preparation, orientation, and illumination. This is why Advent becomes a season of waiting and welcoming – a vertical preparation that enables meaningful horizontal action.
1) Reasons to wait
In today’s fast-paced world, we groan at long queues, curse traffic jams, and feel restless when messages don’t arrive instantly. Advent teaches us the discipline of waiting. As St. Hilary of Poitiers says, “In a world filled with uncertainty and doubt, where the only thing certain seems to be relativism, Christians find a clear reference point for salvation in Christ… waiting is not a waste of time: it does not mean sitting around idly, but rather being patient, which is a real, undeniable, and dynamic activity. Waiting is rejoicing in what truly matters even in the midst of difficulty; it is built on the rock and on what never withers; it is keeping silence, for it is in silence that we await Love and hear his footsteps” (Discourses, I, 1ff).
Like the tram, God moves with purpose, not speed. He does not rush, and He stops only where He knows we must grow, pause, or change. To walk with God is to follow His rhythm, even when it feels slow. Throughout the Bible, we see numerous examples of faithful waiting: figures like Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Isaac (Gen 12-21); Joseph endured years of slavery before saving his family (Gen 37-50); Moses spent 40 years preparing to lead Israel (Exo 3:1-10); and David fled King Saul for years before taking the throne (1 Sam 16-2 Sam 5). In the NT, Simeon and Anna spent their lives faithfully waiting in the temple for the arrival of the Messiah (Lk 2:25-38), and after Jesus’ ascension, the disciples waited in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). All of these figures demonstrated that patient endurance and trust in God are essential while waiting for His promises, whether they were for a son, deliverance, or the coming of the Messiah. Prophet Isaiah says, “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (40:31).
“Brothers and sisters, waiting for God is also important for us, for our faith journey. Every day the Lord visits us, speaks to us, reveals himself in unexpected ways and, at the end of life and time, he will come. He himself exhorts us to stay awake, to be vigilant, to persevere in waiting. Indeed, the worst thing that can happen to us is to let “our spirit doze off”, to let the heart fall sleep, to anesthetize the soul, to lock hope away in the dark corners of disappointment and resignation” (Pope Francis, Feb 2, 2024). Are we still capable of waiting?
2) Season to welcome
Advent is also the time to welcome. If waiting shapes the heart, welcoming is its natural response. It expresses a movement of God drawing near to humanity. When Christ arrives – quietly, gently, at the right moment – we are called to open our hearts just as the tram opens its doors: not all at once, but with enough space to let Him in and carry us forward. God’s coming demands a human response: the hospitality of the heart. To welcome Christ means nothing but making space in our crowded lives, slowing down to recognize His gentle knocking, and opening the doors of our hearts, relationships, and priorities. Welcoming is the activity of a heart trained through waiting. Only those who wait attentively can welcome fully.
Today, globalization makes us close, but it is not enough to make us brothers. We are more alone than ever in an increasingly massified world that promotes individual interests and weakens the communitarian dimension of life (FT 12). In such a climate, the practice of genuine welcoming becomes increasingly difficult. It is painful to see how much time and energy is wasted resisting one another, rather than embracing one another. True welcoming demands intentional love, generosity of spirit, and openness – especially in a world where the noble ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity often remain only on paper. As disciples of Christ, we are reminded of His words: non sic in vobis – “not so among you” (Mk 10:43). We are not called to imitate the patterns of dominance, indifference, or self-protection that shape the world.
To journey with God, we must learn to wait. To grow in His grace, we must learn to welcome. Advent teaches us patience, endurance, hope, and trust. Above all, it prepares our hearts to receive the greatest gift: Christ Himself. May this Advent season find us waiting attentively, welcoming generously, and preparing joyfully for the Lord who comes to meet us. Let us enter these days with open hearts, ready to receive Him and ready to share His light with others.
M. Titus Mohan, a priest of the Diocese of Kuzhithurai in South India, has authored more than 50 books and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Moral Theology in Milan.