Out side of Jesus, the two figures that stand out the most during Advent are John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary. If we're paying attention to the readings at Mass then we might notice the Old Testament prophet Isaiah as well. What all three have in common is that they are all prophets. Isaiah and John in explicit ways, with Mary serving as a more subtle example.
According to the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia, a prophet:
...was the interpreter and supernaturally enlightened herald sent by Y-h to communicate His will and designs to Israel. His mission consisted in preaching as well as in foretelling. He had to maintain and develop the knowledge of the Old Law among the Chosen People, lead them back when they strayed, and gradually prepare the way for the new kingdom of God, which the messias was to establish on earth. Prophecy, in general, signifies the supernatural message of the Prophet, and more especially, from custom, the predictive element of the prophetic message.
In other words, the prophet received God's message and delivered it to Israel. Any prediction of the future was meant to prove the veracity of the prophet's message. If the event he predicted came to pass, he was really sent by God. If it didn't, he was a false prophet and was supposed to be put to death. His main function was to tell the people when they were straying from the Law. He also was preparing the way for the messiah, who was to establish the Kingdom of God. Sometimes his message was one of consolation, like we hear in the first reading for the Second Sunday of Advent. Often times the message was stern, with the prophet pointing out Israel's sins, both corporate and individual, warning them that some chastisement will befall them if they didn't repent and follow the Law a new.
John dominates the readings for Advent's Second and Third Sundays. He appears in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4). While denying he is a prophet, he still identifies himself with the one foretold by Isaiah who would prepare the way for the Messiah (John 1:23, Isaiah 40:3). On this point Jesus would have the final word, declaring that John was indeed the foretold prophet in the image of Elijah (Matthew 11:14). He offers very direct, withering rebukes to the people of his time, warning them of the wrath that is to come if they don't repent (Matthew 3:7-12).
Mary too is a prophet. When she visits Elizabeth, the Blessed Mother breaks forth into a canticle of joy, proclaiming the good things that God has done in the history of Israel (Luke 1:46-56). He has lifted up the lowly and thrown down the proud. In singing God's praises she, in a way, is warning us to remain faithful lest we stumble and fall.
Mary's role as prophet becomes clearer to us through her apparitions. Public revelation ends with the final book of the New Testament, but Salvation History goes on. Just as Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain on either side of Jesus in the Transfiguration, Mary has appeared to people after her earthly life was over to communicate a heavenly message. She doesn't come to tell us anything new, but to remind us of the need to turn back from our sins and follow the Lord. At Fatima, especially, her message was difficult, warning of wars and dissensions if people don't return to the Lord with their whole hearts.
At Guadalupe Mary came with a consoling message. The indigenous people of Mexico had been through many trials over the preceding dozen years. The Spanish conquest brought uncertainty, and a new God who had usurped the old. Mary came, dressed as one of their own, in cloths that spoke a message they could understand. It was a message calling for trust and confidence. She spoke the words of a tender mother assuring her children that she loved them. Before Mary appeared the missionaries had a difficult time evangelizing the native peoples. Afterward the faith spread like wildfire.
So, Mary is Queen, Mother and Prophetess. She loves us, and brings us close to her Son. As we continue our Advent journey may we grow in our devotion to her, and heed her call for both repentance and trust in her Divine Son
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