Advent 2022 - God is With Us!
The Advent season is one of hope, promise and joyful expectation. Throughout its four weeks, we prepare for Christmas and its celebration of the birth of Jesus. While it can seem strange to prepare for an event that happened over 2,000 years ago the readings throughout Advent give us insight into the preparation.
The readings at the beginning of the season focus on the second coming of Christ. We pray fervently: “Maranatha….Come, Lord Jesus!” as we anticipate the fulfillment of God’s promise. The readings near the end of Advent prepare us to celebrate the first coming of Jesus, in the manger in Bethlehem. At Christmas, we celebrate with confidence that the prophets words have been fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Emmanuel” (which means, “God with us)” (Mt. 1:23)
When we hold these two different preparations together, the hope and promise of Advent allow us to celebrate the ways that God is already here with us even before Christmas and to anticipate with joyful expectation the day when we will experience the fullness of that presence.
Through these Advent reflections, we hope that you will be reminded of the ways that God is here with you even now and prepare your heart and home to receive him even more fully in the future.
We wish you an Advent full of hope, promise and joyful expectation.
God bless,
Fr. Charles Kociolek, C.S.C.
Fr. Brogan Ryan, C.S.C.
To read today's readings and all readings this Advent Season, please visit https://bible.usccb.org/.
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