A Blessed Time

We thank God and the Church for this blessed time of Advent. It is a great way to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ, not just at Christmas, but ultimately his return in glory. This past First Sunday of Advent I used this piece, "It's the most wonderful time of the year with the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you 'Be of good cheer' it's the most wonderful time of the year it's the hap-happiest season of all with those holiday greetings and gay happy meeting when friends come to call it's the hap-happiest season of all." Those lines are from the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" made famous by Andy Williams, who passed away this year. The commentary went on to say that what was missing from the song was any mention of God. It also talked about the gospel from Luke 21:25-28, 34-36, which focuses on the end times. The question was asked, "Why does the Church give us a vision of the apocalypse on the First Sunday of Advent?" The answer: "It is because Christmas would make no sense unless we ponder how much we still need God" (Source: The Priest, November 2012). That is so true because we need God in our lives at all times. Many people will call on God when something has gone wrong in their lives, the lives of others, or they are faced with an illness. No matter the circumstance in our lives- happy, sad, joyful, sorrowful, we need God and we need to call upon Him in prayer. This Advent Time is a blessed time to work on our relationship with God because we need Him. Plus, He is always with us because Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Let us make the most of this blessed time because each day brings us closer to the coming of the kingdom. Have a blessed day!!!