ADVENT

One of the great gifts of the Church calendar is that it repeatedly brings us round again to focus on important aspects of our faith.  In Advent, we focus on Christ promised coming. 

For centuries God’s people waited for the promised coming of God’s Messiah.   When He did come, the world received much more than just an “anointed one”.  God Himself took on human flesh in the person of that tiny babe born that first Christmas.  The INCARNATION (God taking on flesh) is extremely important to our faith.  Mankind had fallen and no human being could live up to the righteous and holy demands of God.  So out of love, God sent His only Son (John 3:16).  The Son, the Word, through whom all things were created, became a human. In His fleshly state He perfectly fulfilled all that man could not.  He then took our sins upon Himself, paid for them through His own death and assures our Salvation by His rising again.  None of this could have happened if a baby had not been born whom they named Jesus.  Because He came, we are saved.

But Advent also reminds us of another important aspect of our faith; Jesus is coming back.  This promise, which will someday be a fact, is our hope that everything will turn out alright.  We can live for Him in this world knowing that He will come again.

As we go through this short season of Advent, let us focus on the promised fulfilled with great thanksgiving and the promise which awaits fulfillment with great hope.

May you all have a blessed Advent season.

Fr. David A. Barrett