The Gospel of Luke presents the Advent narrative in such a way that even before Jesus’s birth, the Spirit is already a main character. God’s Holy Spirit helps prepare the way for Jesus’s birth (Luke 1:35) and inspires those around Jesus with understanding and the gift of prophecy (Luke 1:41-55, 67-79; Luke 2:25-32, 36-38).
What if our only task during Advent is to look for signs of God’s Holy Spirit? We may not experience dramatic angelic visitations like Zachariah, Mary, and the shepherds did, but God’s Spirit can come to us in “daily visitations” (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 212). That same Spirit can help us discern and prompt us to take certain actions.
Can you feel that Holy Spirit in your Advent journey? What is God telling you to do?
-Hugo Olaiz