Advent Reflections

This Advent season, we are offering weekly reflections prepared by School of Theology and Ministry faculty members Matthew Monnig, S.J., '97, MA'97, and Brian Dunkle, S.J., STL’09. Bookmark this page and check back for new reflections each Sunday during Advent.

Christmas Reflection

Almost everyone, even many non-believers, agrees that Christmas is a magical day. We dress it up as one, with lights on our windows and decorations on our doorways. The tinsel and the music and all of the stories of the supernatural around this time can conjure up images of a fantasy land.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

It has been said that three figures stand at the heart of Advent: the Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Blessed Mother. At the beginning of Advent (and throughout the season), we hear of Isaiah’s vision of the child to be born of the Virgin, the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9.5–6). Last week, on Gaudete Sunday, we turned to John the Baptist, the link between the prophets of the old order and the apostles of the new. This Sunday we look to Mary, who is at the very heart of the Advent season and what it means for our expectation of “Emmanuel,” God with us.

Third Sunday of Advent

The rosy hue of the vestments and the altar cloths reminds us that this week we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, the day of rejoicing as we wait for the Lord in eager anticipation of His coming on Christmas. The readings themselves broadcast this message: Isaiah proclaims his own joy (Isaiah 60.10) and Paul issues a direct command to the Thessalonians: “Rejoice always!” (1 Thessalonians 5.16). In this respect, this Sunday’s liturgy reflects the marketing schemes for the Christmas season that we encounter while watching TV and visiting the mall: “Get excited!”

Second Sunday of Advent

Entering more deeply into the season of Advent, we are invited to consider who is this person Jesus whom we celebrate during this season. The Gospel at Mass today is the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, and its first line proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1–8). But then this Gospel begins not with the story of the birth of Jesus, like Matthew and Luke, but with John the Baptist and a prophecy from Isaiah. This is Mark’s way of showing us who Jesus is.

First Sunday of Advent

Advent is a season in which memory, time, and expectation are fused in surprising ways. It calls us to look back to the past, forward to the future, upwards to heaven, and downwards to earth. It is a time of anticipation in which we can already experience what we await.

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Boston College C21 Advent Calendar

The Church in the 21st Century Center is celebrating Advent with an exciting, interactive calendar. A different surprise will be unlocked each day of the season, so bookmark the page, and visit daily as we count down to Christmas.

View the calendar

Matthew Monnig, S.J., '97, MA'97

Matthew S. Monnig, S.J., (B.S. ’97, M.A. ’97) is assistant professor of New Testament in the School of Theology and Ministry. Fr. Monnig discerned his vocation as an undergraduate at Boston College and has now spent almost exactly half his life in the Jesuits. He loves being back to teach at his alma mater, and though he did his doctoral studies at Duke, cheers for the Eagles no matter what.

Brian Dunkle, S.J., STL’09

Brian Dunkle, S.J., STL ’09, is assistant professor of Historical Theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. A member of the East Coast Province of the Jesuits, Fr. Dunkle studies early Christianity, the theology of the Fathers of the Church (patristics), and the development of liturgical hymns. He serves in the Archdiocese of Boston as a spiritual director and a weekend assistant at parishes in Everett and Revere, as well as at the correctional institutes of Concord.