Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Today as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, 2021, we reflect upon three ways we can wait for the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
The traditional way we view Advent is as the preparation to celebrate the Birth of Jesus at Christmas. We reflect on the life of the shepherds, the presence of the angels and the journey of the wisemen as they all, and we too, look to the celebration of the miraculous moment of the Birth of the Child of Bethlehem.
The second way is often missed but so very important. We must pray, reflect, and open our hearts to meet Christ in the world around us. Let us not miss the poor who need material assistance, but also a smile and a moment of our time. Let us not miss the immigrant, the soul lost in evil ways, the one who suffers discrimination, and the one who is right beside us who just needs a smile and a kind word.
Finally, Advent calls us to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ. The Gospel reading this Sunday tells us to be vigilant and pray. We won’t know the day nor the hour, for only the Father knows that sacred time. This Advent and every Advent we are given, our task is to wait in joyful anticipation and do all we can to be close to the God who comes NOW and who comes into our hearts and homes once again this CHRISTMASTIME!
Be ready and be present to God and to all the people whom God sends our way!
Sister Diane Marie Corrado, CSFN
