Advent’s Job

December 2nd, 2012 Posted in writing

The purpose of Advent is to remind us of something fundamental in us as individuals and as the human family, namely, that we need, desire, hunger for and await God’s coming into our lives and our world. It encourages us to become aware once more of what St. Augustine wrote: our hearts are restless and our lives are incomplete without God.

Most of the time our desire for God’s presence seems to function as a type of “white noise” or background music to our lives. It’s there, but we don’t explicitly advert to it. Advent, though, takes that yearning for God and moves it from the periphery to the center.

It says, “Pay attention to your desire for God and this world’s need for him!” And it reminds us of people like Isaiah, Mary, Joseph, Zachary, Elizabeth and John the Baptist, whose words and actions show us what it means to long for God and prepare for his coming.

Of course Jesus has come already in history and, as St. John wrote, has “pitched his tent among us” for good. But it is also true that Jesus is always coming into our lives and our world, and Advent encourages us to acknowledge and intensify our longing for him so that we will recognize and welcome him when he comes.

Post a Comment