Adventus

From the Latin word adventus, Advent means coming or visit. But it is also the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ.

We usually think of this season as the time of preparation and waiting for the yearly celebration of the birth of the Messiah. But scripture and tradition also tell us that it is the time when we celebrate Christ's second coming, His coming in glory to fulfill the promises of the prophets and the hope of resurrection and redemption.

"Since the time of Bernard of Clairvaux (d.1153) Christians have spoken of the three comings of Christ: in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts daily, and in glory at the end of time."[Pfatteicher, Philip H., "Journey into the Heart of God: Living the Liturgical Year", Oxford University Press, 2013, ISBN 9780199997145

Thinking of the first question posed yesterday, "What am I waiting for?" how would you respond? Is it for a new and different vision of the birth of Christ in the flesh? Is there something about the Incarnation of God that needs reconfiguring for you this year? Or is it for Christ to be born again for the first time in your heart on a daily basis? Or do you have questions about the end of time...what will that Second Coming be like, what will the "glory of the end of time" do to life as we know it?

As we journey together this Advent, let's respond together to these questions. If we are going to meet Jesus again for the first time, we need to be asking lots of questions and every now and then finding some answers.