December 1, 2024 on Sunday in the Catholic Church of Kyrgyzstan, and everywhere in the Latin rite Catholics, began the period of preparation for the Nativity of Jesus Christ. This period is called Advent (from Latin Adventus – “Advent”). The first Sunday of Advent is considered the beginning of the new liturgical (church) year.
Advent is divided into two parts: the first – from the first Sunday of Advent to December 16 – the readings of these days tell us about the coming Second Coming of Jesus Christ; and the second part – from December 17 to December 24 – is a time of immediate preparation for the celebration of Christmas and is dedicated to the remembrance of the First Coming of Jesus Christ into the world.
On each Sunday of Advent the Gospel readings correspond to a particular event: the first Sunday is dedicated to the coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time, the second and third (Gaudete Sunday of Joy) to St. John the Baptist, who preceded the public ministry of Christ, and the fourth to the events immediately preceding the birth of the Son of God and the special place of the Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Incarnation of God.
In his sermon on the first Sunday of Advent, Father Remigiusz Kalski OI, rector of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Bishkek, noted that we have entered into the silence and expectation of the Birth of Christ. All Christians try to prepare their souls with repentance and prayer to meet the celebration in peace and joy.