In the first reading, Isaiah speaks of the Old Testament waiting for “the days to come” when the Messiah would bring wisdom, light and peace.  Jesus fulfilled this expectation when he came.

Jesus in the Gospel speaks of His Second coming at the end of time.  He urges us to be vigilant and ready when he comes, for it will occur when we least expect it.

In a sense, this final and future coming of Christ is a process, one that begins at the end of this life.  For the time being, we are still living in a “mean-time.”  That is, the time between Christ’s coming in past history to share our humanity and His coming in the future to lead us to glory.

Lest our waiting be empty and meaningless, we celebrate an Advent culminating in a Christmas each year to recall why we are waiting and for whom we await.

Waiting is a big part of life and so it is important to learn how to wait.  One of the purposes of Advent is to teach us how to wait – with patience, expectation and optimism.  Another purpose of Advent is to instruct us how to recognize our Lord’s coming—in the duties we carry out, or in the things that happen to us, or in the people we meet.

It is not only at the time of death or at the end of the world that our Lords’ coming will happen when we least expect it.  Our Lord comes in surprising ways even as we are waiting in the doctor’s office for an appointment, or in the cashiers line at the supermarket, or in a bus station or airline terminal.

During Advent we discipline ourselves to see Christ in everyone and in every situation.  Our waiting then will not be one of frustration, but rather one of readiness and anticipation.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell