Advent is two-fold in that we are anticipating both for the celebration
of the birth of Christ and waiting for His second coming. In the same way, our
duty during Advent is two-fold. We are called to be both vigilant and joyful.
We must be vigilant, ready to greet the Lord. Like the virgins with oil in their
lamps, we must live our lives always prepared for Christ’s arrival. It is not something
to schedule in amongst all your other plans and activities; it is the way you
live.
But it is not a fearful vigilance. We are also called to be joyful. The Lord has come to us and will come again. Good will conquer evil. Life will conquer death. There is a light in the darkness. There is hope.
It can be easy to slip into despair at times. Nothing seems to
be getting better. There is illness and death and broken relationships. There
is war and greed and violence. There is the decline of morals, of democracy, of
society. We want to lock ourselves away, prepare for the worst, hunker down and
survive. But the vigilance for Advent is not apocalyptic prepping. It is not
one of desperation and survival. It is not anticipation for the worst but for
the best.
Joy means we see the hope, even in the dark times. We know
that nothing lasts forever. The struggles of the current time will pass. That
does not diminish the suffering. But God is with us in the suffering. His love
does not pass away. He loved us so much that He came to earth. He is coming
again. There is nothing in this world that can stop Him from loving us. So
prepare the table. Be ready to receive Him, to celebrate Him, to live in a future
of joy.
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