Advent 

   Today is the first Sunday of Advent, a season of joyful expectation of the first coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, when He came as an infant in a manger.  A manger is a feeding trough for animals, but it was His first crib.  I believe this was a foretelling of His giving us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Eucharist.  He first appeared in a simple manger and now comes to us under the appearance of a simple piece of unleavened bread and wine.

   Advent is also a time for self-reflection on our lives and how we are living them.  Are we living for Christ or for self?  Is He the most important part of our lives or are there other false gods that we also worship.  Are we sorrowful for our sins and will we make an effort to do better going forward?  All these things are part of Advent as well.

   Our Lord came to us as a babe in arms.  At every Mass He comes to us in the Eucharist in the guise of unleavened bread and wine.  Yet, there is still an advent to come, His coming in glory.

   “On His robe and on his thigh he had a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” (Rev 19: 16).  When He comes in His glory all things will change, the earth and all that is in it will pass away.  The earth and seas will give up their dead and the world as we know it will come to an end.  “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev 21: 5).

   Let us prepare to celebrate the memorial of the first coming of Christ, let us recognize that He comes in the Blessed Sacrament at every Mass, and let us prepare ourselves for His final coming in glory at the end of the universe, for we do not know when it will come.  “Therefore, remember the teaching you have received and heard.  Hold on to it and repent, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come to you.” (Rev 3: 3)