“Excita quaesumus”: a pastoral epistle for Advent 2024

To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate

Carissimi

Excita quaesumus, we pray, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the hearts of thy faithful people,” for this holy season of Advent is upon us. A time for reflection, anticipation, and preparation, Advent compels us to look both back at the first coming of Christ in humility and forward to His second coming in glory. The Church’s ancient prayer, which we repeat in the Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, beckons us to renew our hearts, preparing the way for the Lord’s arrival—not just at Christmas, but in His final coming as Judge of the living and the dead.

As we reflect upon the events of the year 2024, a year filled with the continuing struggles and triumphs of the faithful, we are reminded that Advent is both a call to remember and a call to prepare. The liturgical season of Advent invites us not merely to mark the passage of time before Christmas but to enter into a deeper spiritual preparation for both the celebration of the birth of Christ and the final fulfilment of God’s promises in Christ’s second coming.

I. Advent: A Dual Preparation
Advent, as a season of preparation, invites us to consider two distinct but intimately connected aspects of the Christian faith: the first coming of Christ as the Saviour of the world, and the second coming of Christ in glory. These two events shape not only the course of human history but the very life of the Church and the believer. As the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of Christ, she also calls us to prepare for His return in power.

A. The First Coming: The Historical and Theological Event
The first coming of Christ is the foundational event in human history. In the words of St. Leo the Great, “The Son of God, who is consubstantial with the Father, assumes our nature that He might save us.”¹ Christ, in His Incarnation, assumed human flesh and became like us in all things except sin (Hebrews 4:15), so that by His life, death, and resurrection, He might redeem humanity. This truth is central to our faith and must ever be a subject of our contemplation and devotion.

The faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate, who treasure the traditional liturgies and prayers of the pre-Vatican II Church, are particularly called to reflect on the rich patristic heritage that underscores the significance of Christ’s first coming. St. Athanasius, in his De Incarnatione, writes that “the Word of God became man in order to save us from the tyranny of sin and death.”² This truth, proclaimed throughout the history of the Church, is celebrated liturgically during Advent, particularly in the hymns and antiphons that speak of the expectation of the Messiah.

The Incarnation is not merely a past event to be remembered, but a present reality that shapes our daily lives. In the words of the Catechism of the Council of Trent, “By the Incarnation of the Word, the redemption of man was brought about.”³ As we approach Christmas, we are reminded that the God who became man continues to dwell among us through His Church, His Word, and His sacraments.

B. The Second Coming: The Eschatological Hope
While the first coming of Christ is an event of historical significance, the second coming of Christ remains our ultimate hope. St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” The second coming, or Parousia, will be the moment when Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead and to establish the fullness of God’s Kingdom.

This is a central theme of Advent, as the liturgy of the Church, especially in the readings of the second and third Sundays, focuses on the eschatological nature of our hope. As St. Bernard of Clairvaux famously said, “The Advent of the Lord is both a remembrance and a promise—His first coming has been, and His second will be.”⁴ Thus, the faithful must not only prepare for the joy of Christmas but must also live in a spirit of constant anticipation for Christ’s return.

The liturgical season of Advent thus takes on a dual purpose: to prepare us to celebrate the historical event of Christ’s birth and to remind us of our responsibility to live in readiness for His return. This dual preparation is not a contradiction but a living tension that shapes the life of the believer.

II. The Penitential Character of Advent
Advent, despite its association with anticipation and hope, is also a time for penitence. The Church, in her ancient wisdom, has always understood Advent as a time of spiritual preparation, which involves more than mere waiting. It is a time to repent, to turn away from sin, and to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Saviour.

A. The Historical Context of Advent as a Time of Penance
In the early centuries of the Church, Advent was considered a season of fasting and penance in preparation for the feast of the Nativity. This penitential character was emphasized through fasting, prayer, and acts of charity. As the Roman Missal notes, “Advent is a season of minor penance, a time to prepare for the joy of the Christmas feast by purifying the heart and soul.”⁵ The Church Fathers, such as St. Augustine, were clear that the joy of Christmas was to be experienced after a period of spiritual renewal.

St. Leo the Great, writing in the fifth century, exhorted the faithful to “prepare their hearts by penance, that they may more fittingly receive the Saviour, who comes to bring peace to our hearts.”⁶ This call to penitence echoes through the liturgical prayers of Advent, particularly in the emphasis on fasting, prayer, and reconciliation.

The ancient Roman liturgy observed Advent with a penitential tone, distinct from the jubilant celebration of Christmas. The Ambrosian Rite and the Sarum Rite, both pre-Vatican II, preserved this penitential spirit, focusing on fasting and acts of charity to prepare the faithful to meet Christ both in the Eucharist and at His final coming. Advent, then, is a season to examine one’s life, to confess sins, and to restore one’s relationship with God.

B. Repentance and Charity: The Two Pillars of Advent
Repentance is essential to the Advent season. St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, heralds the Advent message with the call to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). The Gospel readings for Advent reflect this summons to repentance. The faithful are called to turn away from sin and toward God, to purify their hearts and make way for the Christ Child.

This repentance is not merely a passive acknowledgment of sin but an active turning away from evil and toward the good. As St. Bernard writes, “Let us purify ourselves, that we may worthily receive the Saviour, and let this Advent be a time of penance and renewal in preparation for the Christmas feast.”⁷ Repentance is also closely linked to charity, the practice of love for others. Advent is a time to renew our commitment to love and serve our neighbours, especially the poor and the needy. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, “Charity is the bond that unites us to Christ, and through charity, we prepare for His coming.”⁸ By giving alms, visiting the sick, and helping those in need, we embody the love of Christ, who came to serve and not to be served.

III. Reclaiming the True Meaning of Christmas
In a world where Christmas is often reduced to consumerism, materialism, and excessive celebration, Advent calls us to reclaim the true meaning of Christmas. The commercial frenzy of modern life threatens to overshadow the penitential spirit of Advent, which is necessary to prepare for the joy of the Nativity. The faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate, who adhere to the traditional liturgical calendar, are particularly attuned to the need to observe Advent in its proper liturgical and spiritual sense.

A. Advent: A Time for Fasting and Penance
Advent is a season of waiting, yes, but it is also a season of penance. We must fast from excess, from distractions, from worldly pleasures, in order to focus on the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of our Saviour. The Sarum Rite, for example, calls for fasting on certain days of Advent, as a way to prepare spiritually for the joy of Christ’s coming. This is a penitential waiting, a fast of the soul, and not a mere passing of time.

St. Leo the Great reminds us that “through fasting, the soul is strengthened for the reception of Christ, that it might rejoice in His coming.”⁹ Only by embracing the penitential spirit of Advent can we enter into the true joy of Christmas, not a joy of material indulgence but the joy of salvation.

B. The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Time for Joyful Feast
Once the season of Advent has been observed faithfully, the twelve days of Christmas can be celebrated with true joy and gratitude. This time of feasting is not meant to be an indulgence in worldly excess but a celebration of the great gift of salvation. The liturgical celebration of Christmas begins with the solemnity of the Nativity and extends for twelve days, during which the faithful are called to rejoice in the birth of the Saviour.

The Roman Missal teaches that the twelve days of Christmas should be marked by “praise, thanksgiving, and solemn feast.”¹⁰ This is a time for the Christian community to come together and celebrate the gift of Christ, who was born to redeem the world.

IV. The Purpose of the Old Roman Apostolate
The Old Roman Apostolate exists to preserve the ancient liturgies, traditions, and teachings of the Church. In a world that has increasingly embraced novelty and innovation, we remain committed to the traditional observance of Advent as a time of preparation, penance, and charity. Our mission is not simply to preserve the past but to live out the faith in a way that is faithful to the Church’s rich heritage while responding to the needs of our time.

As we look back on the year 2024, we are reminded that our calling as an Apostolate is to live in anticipation of both Christ’s first coming at Christmas and His second coming at the end of time. We must remain vigilant, living lives of holiness and hope, as we prepare to meet Christ both in the Eucharist and at His glorious return.

V. Conclusion: A Call to Faithful Advent
As we enter into this holy season of Advent, let us embrace the call to preparation, repentance, and charity. Let us observe Advent as a time of penance, that we might celebrate Christmas with pure hearts. Let us, in our waiting, remember both the historical event of Christ’s birth and the eschatological hope of His return.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all this Advent season and always.

I.X.

Brichtelmestunensis
In Vigilia S. Andreæ Apostoli MMXXIV A.D.

Oremus

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1. St. Leo the Great, Sermon 1 on the Nativity of the Lord (PL 54:190). ↩︎
2. St. Athanasius, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, Chapter 1 ↩︎
3. Catechism of the Council of Trent, Advent and the Incarnation ↩︎
4. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon on the Advent of the Lord ↩︎
5. Missale Romanum (pre-Vatican II), the liturgical observance of Advent. ↩︎
6. St. Leo the Great, Sermon 1 on the Nativity of the Lord (PL 54:190). ↩︎
7. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon on the Advent of the Lord. ↩︎
8. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, Q. 25, Art. 6 ↩︎
9. St. Leo the Great, Sermon 1 on the Nativity of the Lord (PL 54:190) ↩︎
10. Missale Romanum (pre-Vatican II), the celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. ↩︎