Advent is time to prepare our heart of the 3 comings of Christ

The word Advent is an old English word that means “coming.” Advent is the first season of the Church’s year that leads up to Christmas.

Unfortunately, Christmas has been so commercialized that the four weeks of Advent are just about lost. For those who are not completely taken up with parties and endless buying, Advent can be a blessing.

Advent is the season that invites us to renew our spirit of hope. We are invited to strengthen our faith that God is not only present with us in every struggle and disappointment but will see us through any difficulty we might face.

No matter what happens to us, we can say, “This too shall pass” because we know God is with us.

It’s easy for us to fill our lives with anxieties, worries, and fears. We may have doubts about the future and our ability to handle what might be coming down the pike.

It can disturb our sleep, make us sick and affect our relationships with our loved ones.

In the United States, 18 percent of the adult population suffers from an anxiety disorder, and all adults have experienced some recurring sense of anxiousness. We are so busy worrying about what could go wrong that we lose sight of what is going right.

God wants to give us peaceful hearts, even in the midst of turmoil.

Advent is a time of longing and waiting. We have to open our hearts in prayer longing for God’s presence, grace, comfort, healing, and peace.

St. Ignatius of Loyola said, “The more we can get in touch with the deepest desires and longings of our heart, the more we will be in touch with God’s deepest desires and longings for us.”

Isn’t it comforting to know that what is really important to us is even more important to God? God may not give us what we want but God will always give us what we need. In Advent we renew our hope and trust that God is here for us.

Advent is also a time of waiting and longing for a world of justice and peace. We can be assured God’s longing for justice and peace in our world far exceeds our own longing. We have to believe that God’s spirit is moving in our world trying to bring about this justice and peace. We have to let that Spirit move within us so that we do not just pray for justice and peace but also work for justice and peace.

Advent is a time of preparing our minds and hearts for the coming of Christ more fully into our lives. In Advent we recognize three coming of Christ: his coming in history 2000 years ago when Jesus took on our flesh and became one with us in the womb of Mary. The second coming of Christ will be at the end of the world when he will come to collect all those who followed the path of love.

The third coming may be the most important. It involves Christ coming into our hearts, being born repeatedly within us. We need to give Christ more space in our lives during Advent. We must remove from our hearts any obstacles that would keep Christ from dwelling within us, like hatred and an unforgiving spirit.

We need more time for prayer, for silence, for stillness, for reflection on the Scriptures, especially the readings for Advent. Advent is a time for increased prayer but also a time for increased action to build Christ’s kingdom among us.

During Advent, we listen to the cry of John the Baptist, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” and we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.”