Traditionally, the four candles on the Advent wreath, symbolizing the four weeks of our preparation for the coming of Christ, invite us to practice four virtues: hope, peace, joy, and love. Last week’s call to “HOPE” is enhanced this week by an invitation to live in “PEACE”.  As we heard last Sunday, hope is much more than “optimism”. Hope is the conviction that even when the night seems dark and cold, the dawn is near.  Hope means we are not alone: God will never abandon us.  God hears and answers us. How important is it for us to hear this word of hope and peace – especially in these uncertain and sometimes conflictual pandemic times!!  

This Sunday, Isaiah speaks of the coming Messiah as one who will “feed his flock like a shepherd, and gather the lambs in his arms.”  John the Baptist proclaims the coming of Jesus as One who will baptize not merely with water, but with “the Holy Spirit.”  Finally, the 2^nd letter of Peter invites the persecuted Christians of his time to stand firm in faith and to live in peace, as they wait in hope for “a new heaven and a new earth.”  Now in the ninth month of this pandemic, we too have learned to wait in hope!

Advent speaks to us of three comings of Christ among us: past, present, and future.  Christ came among us in history, in the flesh, as a vulnerable child.  Christ will come again in glory, at the end of time.  But in between, Christ comes among us in the people we meet each day: in family and friend, co-worker and neighbour, in the poor and forsaken. Christ speaks to us in his Word and nourishes us in the Eucharist. 

Common to each of these comings is our need to prepare.  Isaiah cries out: “make a straight path for the coming of God!” John the Baptist preaches repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  St. Peter exhorts us to “live in holiness and peace.”  At our recent parish vitality conference, Archbishop Durocher reminded us that each of us has been called by name, and are now being sent “in God’s name” out into the world.  The Church is not simply a historical institution or a comfortable community, but a movement with a mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ: “making disciples” of all the nations. 

What can I do to prepare for the coming of Christ in my life this Advent, to nourish my sense of hope?  Typically, we are caught up at this time of the year with the hectic pace of “getting ready for Christmas”: shopping, cooking, cleaning, preparing for big holiday gatherings.  Much of this has been taken away from us this year.  We could fill that time with binge-watching Netflix or online shopping for things we don’t really need.

Or, we could really live Advent. We could consciously make room for Jesus, who comes to meet us not only in a special way at Christmas, but every day. We can light the Advent candles, set up the Christmas crib, take time to pray. We can find creative ways to reach out to those who are lonely, or struggling, or discouraged. We can share of our time and treasure with the parish, or with other community organizations that help the needy. We can ask some good Advent questions: What am I waiting and watching for?  What helps me remain alert and watchful?   What needs to be “leveled out” in my life to make a straight path for God? 

So let us sustain one another in hope as prepare for the coming of Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace, who is Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Fr. Raymond