Advent: a period of expectation unprecedented in history (I)

When Mary was a little girl, she, along with all of Israel, was waiting for the coming of the Messiah, who had been announced not just by a single prophet, but by a long line of prophets, over many centuries.

Hers was a small nation, tossed about by history's whims, which survived all the conflicts with neighboring empires and ended up being the only nation to outlive the ancient world, keeping its identity intact and always maintaining the unshakeable certainty of being the instrument of an eternal destiny, on a global scale.

All were searching Scriptures to determine the time of Messiah’s arrival, announced precisely but mysteriously by the prophets. The expectation of the fulfillment of the times had become so strong and precise, in this particular period of history, that there were more than 100 Messiah candidates listed by historians.

"As the people were waiting" (Lk 3:15), when John the Baptist appeared, they asked him, "Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?" (Lk 7:19). This was an absolutely unique situation, and this singular aspect of Christianity alone is sufficient - in the opinion of many scholars - to set it apart from the religious history of the world.

Excerpts from Hypothèses sur Jésus  by Vittorio Messori, Mame, 1978