We begin Advent with a focus on the coming of the Lord at an unknown, future time. We are called to wake up, to be always on guard, to be alert and not sleepy. As the weeks progress, the focus will shift ever more toward the coming of the Lord in history--the event that we commemorate on Christmas Day.
For more than a week now, the world around us has been in full swing for the Christmas season. Merchants are flooding us with sales and email offers. Christmas carols are playing in the background in stores and offices. Christmas trees and buildings are lighted in our cities, towns, and neighborhoods. All of this is well and good as we prepare for Christmas Day. However, the Church in her wisdom invites us to step back from all of this hustle and bustle. For the next four weeks, we are asked to make a space in our busy lives for emptiness and silence. We are invited to reflect on what the coming of the Lord means for us: then, now, and in the future. We are invited to prepare a space within for the greatest gift of all. A gift that only God can give and the only gift that really matters.
Let us cherish these days of Advent and this opportunity to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord.
Blessed Advent!
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