The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: “Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” We come to God everyday immersed in our faith, responding to his call for us to love him. We come broken and longing, hoping to become fulfilled and whole again. With Christ comes meaning in life; a consoling measure that everything will work out from the safety and security of our families to a life filled with purpose and direction. Bad things do happen and we all do bad things; such is our nature. Yet, through Christ the pain fades away and is replaced with happiness and joy. Christ journeys with us and Christ is indeed around us.
The Season of Advent reminds us that Christ entered this world for our salvation and will one day return as he promised to bring us all to him. It is a somber feeling because it makes us long for something that maybe we do not think about too much. Yes, we pray to Christ and try to make him an important part of our lives; we strive to better ourselves and enrichen ourselves with the Christian Experience, but we rarely contemplate that this will eventually all end and we will all be gathered together before Christ. What will that be like? What are we to expect from such a pinnacle moment in human history? No one really has the answer except for God himself. The only thing we can do is wait.
It is ironic that we are forced to do something that, by our very nature, we are not good at. We are impatient, demanding, and intolerable. Society has taught us to be just that. Christ tries to teach us differently. We are told to slow down, have patience, and contemplate what all of this really means. The Mother Church follows suite with this beautiful season. Together, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we worship together with our hearts and minds firmly transfixed towards the great unknown, reaching out to our savior for strength and comfort; to face that great void which we all soon will pass. We learn to cry out for Jesus to come help us take those last fateful steps on our journey, his smiling face assuring us that everything is going to be alright. Inside, we might be afraid, terrified even, but as we look over to Jesus with the helpless expression of a child, he assures us it will be alright.
How often in our lives do we first have faith then lose it so easily when a conflict arises. Through Advent, we are directed to examine this thoroughly. We must continuously strengthen ourselves and prepare for that time when either we meet our physical end or Christ comes again in all his glory. Either way, it is a test of our own faith regarding how we conduct ourselves. It is so easy to proclaim that we are Catholic when things are good, but when it is bad, that is another story. We must take the trials and tribulations of the Holy Family and relate. We must then hold with us the image of the Crucified Messiah and what he did for us exclusively. He came into this world evangelizing to his children, and then died for his children. But before this, let us also remember the first way whence he came: as a little child, innocent and without sin on a quiet night in Bethlehem. Let us become like that child and trust as we give everything over to Christ. For Christ so loved us that he came into this world for our salvation. And this we cannot forget.
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