From the desk of the pastor for Dec. 1, 2024

The Lord be with you! This Sunday begins the liturgical season of Advent, which is a time to prepare for the Comings of Christ. Whereas most of our families and friends will be focused only on Christ’s First Coming (His birth in Bethlehem), the Church prepares for both His Nativity and His Second Coming in glory. Advent helps us to be ready for both by cleansing our hearts of sin and reminding us of Christ’s role as savior.

The English word “Advent” comes from the Latin word, “Adventus.” Although it first meant only the arrival of a person, it came to mean both the arrival and the celebration of that coming. A great example of an adventus in the New Testament is Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday: the people of the city welcomed Jesus with their equivalent of a parade. An adventus also designated when the Romans would arrive with an army to take a city by force. In that case, far from celebrating their arrival, the people of a city would do their utmost to either resist or placate the Roman legion. It is worth noting that a city that did not open the gates to the Romans would be sacked and possibly destroyed.

Christ will come as conqueror to those who resisted God in their hearts, but He will come as liberator to those who welcomed Him. The most important lesson to remember is that we cannot wait to prepare - we must get ready now! Christ is not going to give us any warnings of His Second Coming. The Rapture, the Final Warning, and the Illumination of Conscience are not how the Church interprets the end times. Do not be fooled into thinking that we will be given a special time to get ready; now is the time to repent.

A common ending of Catholic prayers used to be, “through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and will come to judge the world with fire.” This ending captures well that Christ longs to set the world on fire with His Love and Mercy. Let us also call to mind St. Paul's advice to St. Timothy, "This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with Him we shall also live with Him; if we persevere we shall also reign with Him. But if we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are unfaithful He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 11-13).

The best way to prepare for both Christmas and the Final Judgment is to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and make peace with our neighbor. If you have not gone to Confession in several months or years, now is a good time to go. Likewise, if you have held onto hatred now is the time to let it go. May Christ’s peace always reign in our hearts!

In Christ,
Fr. John