It seems like Christmas begins earlier and earlier each year. The stores have had decorations out for weeks and Black Friday sales have been advertised since Halloween.
Christmas is a beautiful time of the year, with the lights, the music, the foods, the Christmas trees, the nativity scenes; but it is also easy to get distracted. Our routines, responsibilities, and even our worries can dull our spiritual senses. We can become overwhelmed and to borrow a popular phrase, to lose sight of “the reason for the season.”
God is always present, always near, but we can miss Him if we’re not looking.
This weekend is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a Latin word meaning arrival. When we await the arrival of a family member or a loved one we are always watchful and often anxious, eagerly anticipating their coming. We prepare a place for them in our home and of course in our hearts.
In the same way, St. Matthew’s Gospel for this Sunday calls for us to be watchful — to stay awake, to be ready and to prepare a place for the Lord in a deeper spiritual way. Advent is not just about waiting for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. It is also about awakening our hearts to His presence here and now, and His coming again in glory. Jesus tells his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert!”
These words remind us that faith is not a passive waiting but an active readiness. We are called upon to live each day with purpose – to look for God’s presence in our everyday lives, to bring light where there is darkness and to act with love and mercy even in small things.
Advent invites us to slow down and make space in our hearts for Christ. It’s a time to rekindle hope — not a naïve optimism, but the deep assurance that God is at work even when we are troubled and life feels uncertain.
On Sunday we light the first candle of the Advent wreath — the Candle of Hope — a flame reminding us that darkness will never overcome the light. We proclaim our trust that even in the uncertainty of life, God is faithful. We do not know the day or the hour, but we know Who we are waiting for — the Lord who loves us and desires to dwell among us.
As we begin this Advent season let us ask ourselves:
- How can I make space for Christ in my daily life?
- Am I living each day as if I truly expect His coming?
- How can I bring hope to others in this season of waiting?
May God bless you, and have a joyous and spiritually productive Advent.
***
Deacon Franz Fruehwald is a permanent deacon at Queen of Peace Parish in Ardsley.
The post Advent Week 1: Not a Passive Waiting, But an Active Readiness appeared first on CatholicPhilly.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.