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Alpha and omega are
the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They are both vowels.
Alpha
equates
to our letter A and is shaped the same way. Omega
looks like a horseshoe:
S. It has a long O sound, so its aural equivalent appears earlier in our
alphabet. In Greek, though, alpha leads to
omega
as A leads
to Z.
These two letters appear several times in the Book of Revelation (1:8;
21:6; 22:13), at the end of the Bible. Together they form a title of Jesus
Christ, who is the first and the last; the beginning and the end; the one
who is, who was, and who is to come; the almighty; the one who is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
At the Easter Vigil each year, the priest carves the letters Alpha and
Omega into the candle while reciting a text that proclaims Christ as the
beginning and the end. The symbols remain in the candle throughout the
year. They may appear elsewhere in Christian art, often associated with
the cross.
As one church year draws to a close and another begins on the First
Sunday of Advent, it is appropriate to remember Christ, who stands above
all time as the beginning and the end. He existed before time began. He
will rule as judge at the end of days. And he appeared in human history,
an event we recall every Christmas Day. Whether we are celebrating the
turning of the church year or of the calendar year, we hail Christ as our
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the one to whom all time belongs,
and in whom we live, move, and have our being.ML
For additional bulletin insert resources,
try Index of Bulletin Inserts
Or, order the CD containing 260 bulletin
insert resources, as seen on the ML Bulletin
Inserts page.
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Send an e-mail to ML
Editor or post an entry on the ML Current Issue
Discussion Board. (All submissions become the property of RPI and may
be edited for length.)
This bulletin insert originally appeared in Ministry
& Liturgy, a pastoral planning resource used by the worship leaders
in your parish as an aid for better liturgy. Copyright © 2006, Resource
Publications, Inc. 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408)
286-8505. This article may not be reproduced in any form without permission
from the publisher. For permission e-mail
info@rpinet.com.
Paul
Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Parish in Cameron, MO, holds a doctorate
in sacramental theology from Sant' Anselmo University in Rome.
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