One Little Word
The Coming of Christ
Submitted by Thomas Stidl
Advent is a special time of the year. We prepare ourselves to celebrate the coming of Our Lord as a baby. We attempt to get our earthly homes in order. We decorate the outside of our homes with festive lights, the inside of our homes with festive lights on Christmas trees, both artificial and real. We place ornaments, garlands and tinsel on the trees to brighten the holiday season. In our northern hemisphere daylight hours are growing shorter and snaps of winter weather can be felt.
The sounds of Christmas can be heard also. Christmas carols fill the airwaves along cash registers jingling from all the presents that are bought. It is not just the presents that are bought, but all the food ingredients or full cakes and cookies. The end-of-year Christmas parties are being planned and prepared. There is joy and laughter in many homes and offices. This is our western culture.
There is also an opposite side to the previous picture that I just described. People are having problems making ends meet financially. There are people living either at or below the poverty level. Their celebration is either non-existent or marginal at best. Some of us have lost loved ones over the years or worse yet at the holiday season. They are lonely. I do have some advice for them. Invite them back in to your daily lives. Talk to them. They can still hear you. I realize that they are not physically present, but their spiritual presence can be a great comfort to you. All people should pray for the lonely ones. It is a great way to show our solidarity with them. I also realize that the lonely people are preparing for the coming of Christ differently.
These children of Almighty God are preparing for his second coming. With the five wise virgins, their lamps are lit to welcome their bridegroom Jesus back to earth and join him in the eternal kingdom.
By now, most of us have heard of the papal prophecies written by Saint Malachi. Did you know that we are living in the days of the last Pope according to his visions? During the reign of Pope Francis according to the prophecies, the terrible end will come. So where does that leave us? We should follow the advice of the Gospel of the first Sunday of Advent. “Watch.” We should also be praying, “Maranatha” or “Come Lord Jesus Come”. While doing these important actions we should also realize that the Lord is near to us especially in the most Blessed Sacrament that is his mystical presence in our midst.
Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe. Deo Gratias. Gloria Tibi Domini. Praise be to God. See you in Paradise. Amen.