First Sunday of Advent. November 27, 2016. Matthew 24:37-44

“So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come (Mat 24:44).”

We are entering the Season of Advent. This season marks the beginning of the new Church’s liturgical year as well as of the four Sundays preparation for Christmas. Advent is from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’, and thus, this season prepares us for the coming of Christ.

Our faith speaks of two Advents of Jesus. Historically, Jesus’ first coming was in the little town Bethlehem more than two millennia ago, as a little baby, meek and gentle. We fondly call this day as the first Christmas. Theologians  name this sacred moment in history as the Incarnation. This means the Second Person of the Trinity became flesh and dwelt among us (see John 1:14). on the other hand the Second Coming calls our attention to His final coming as the King and Judge of the living and dead. This Second Coming is integral to our belief system as it was explicitly written in both Apostles’ and Nicea-Constantinople’ Creeds.

In the first coming, nobody expected the Messiah would be born in an extremely simple condition and from the poor family of Joseph and Mary. In time of Jesus, Jews naturally expected a Messiah coming from the royal, influential and well-off families. Though we all believe in the Second Coming, nobody knows also when exactly it will knock on our door. There were a lot of self-proclaimed prophets announcing the end of the world, but none were proven true. As the first coming caught the Jews unprepared, so too the second coming will bring great surprise to all of us.

Thus, to avoid the false expectations as well as complacency, the Church invites us to celebrate the season of Advent. This season trains us to expect His Coming and to expect rightly. But, how does the Season of Advent really make us truly prepare? The answer lies on a third coming. St. Bernard of Clairvaux reminded us that there is also the third coming of Christ. This is taking place between the first and the second Advent of Jesus. Jesus is present in our daily lives and knocks in our hearts. If we possess the virtue to discover God in our daily lives, we will not be caught unguarded with His Final Coming.

The Season of Advent reminds us that the presence of God is actually real and manifold. We need to exert effort to open our eyes and heart. Firstly, His presence is the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist. Every time we partake of the Eucharist, we receive the Real Body of Christ in the form of the sacred host. Secondly, His presence is also manifested in the Sacred Scriptures as the Word of God. Saint Augustine reminds us not only to read and study the Bible but also pray with it, as he writes, “When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God.” Thirdly, we are also trained to seek His invisible presence around us. On the door of his room, our formator in the seminary placed a large inscription. It writes, “Train your mind to see the good in everything.” Yes, we cannot see God directly, but we can always unearth His good works around us. He is present when we choose to forgive rather than take revenge. He is just around when suddenly our children give us much-needed warm hugs. He is not far when a little-impoverished boy decides to share his small piece of bread for his sickly mother.

Be prepared and find God in your midst!