Look, your king is coming to you; righteous and victorious is he! (Zechariah 9:9)
Archbishop Urmas Viilma sends this greeting for the beginning of the new Church year:
Once again the moment has arrived when we light the first Advent candle and set out on the journey into a new Church year. Advent is a time of quiet expectation, when we turn our gaze towards the Light—a light that is not extinguished even when the darkness around us seems to deepen.
The message of Advent from the prophet Zechariah is brief: Look, your king is coming to you; righteous and victorious is he! (Zechariah 9:9) The King we await is not a ruler who arrives amid the clamour of power or accompanied by armies. Christ is the King who comes in humility, like the Christ Child born centuries after Zechariah in the stillness of the Bethlehem night. His coming does not cause anxiety, but brings peace; it does not increase fear, but offers hope.
We live in a restless world. Conflicts, political tensions, fear of war and economic uncertainty affect even those who do not themselves live on the front line or in a bomb shelter. We know that there are places where the peace of Christmas will not reach this year either. There are peoples for whom the Advent candle is lit in the shadow of fear rather than peace. There are families without a sense of security, and societies where hostility, quarrels and mistrust have become daily companions.
Christ comes into such a world—not merely beside people, but into their midst. He comes precisely where divisions in society deepen, where people feel alone or defenceless, and where unfolding crises test faith both in one’s neighbour and in God. The humble King comes to bear our concerns, lighten our burdens and restore a peace that is not merely a ceasefire, but peace of heart.
The flame of an Advent candle is small, yet its light reaches farther than the eye can see. It reminds us that Christ’s coming is not merely a tradition we observe, but a promise that holds true at every time and for every person. He enters our lives even when we are lost, weary or losing hope. He comes to give us the peace born of forgiveness, reconciliation and hope.
I hope that in the new Church year the light of Christ will shine throughout Estonia and the whole world—especially where people live in fear, where sorrow is greater than joy, and where a righteous and humble King who brings peace is needed.
I wish everyone a peaceful and blessed Advent, heartfelt preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth, and the presence of God in the new Church year.
+ Urmas Viilma
Archbishop
See you at church today for Mass at 10:00, followed by coffee, and at 18:00, as well as for the singing of favourite Christmas carols at 16:00!
