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Advent has begun once again. The Church will start anew the liturgical cycle of readings, and we begin with the end in mind. In the fist Sunday gospel reading of Advent, the Church contemplates not the birth ofChrist, but his future coming in glory on the last day. Each year, during this sacred time, the Spirit calls us to be vigilant, to stay awake and to be ready to meet the Lord. Some people are afraid to think of Christ’s arrival. Somewhere along the line, Christians lost sight of what it means to say “Christ is coming.” This is not meant to fill us with fear but with hope. The same Jesus who was born in the stable in utter humility for our sake is the one who is coming. Jesus who taught love and compassion; Jesus who brings justice and mercy; Jesus who heals our broken heart is not going to abandon us. The world can be a scary place. It can seem that there are forces at play around us that are nearly impossible to fight. Advent reminds us that we have nothing to fear. Christ is coming. He is the true power in the universe. He is the revelation of all that the Father has in store for us. When will we meet Christ? One day in the future which we do not know, we will see him in all his glory. But we do not have to wait for the Lord that long. He is already in our midst. He is with us now, today. He is with us when two or three of us gather in his name, he is with us when we celebrate the Eucharist, and he is with us in the poor and those in need. Christ is already here, so the time to be ready is now. How can we wrap our heads around this and sit and contemplate all that Advent offers, especially when we are so busy at this time of year? If you can, try to squeeze in a little more time for prayer and reflection during this beautiful season. Try to meet with your small Christian community – despite how busy we all can be these weeks before Christmas – and gather to pray, to reflect on God’s Word and to be ready. Like most things in life, getting ready to meet Christ is something made easier when we do it together. Have a blessed Advent, Joseph Nuzzi |