Though the word Advent describes the four-week liturgical season prior to Christmas upon which we have just embarked, it also, in its simplicity, means “coming.” During Advent we remember the coming of Christ in history; we rejoice in the coming of Christ into the daily events of our lives (God, we are told, IS with us); and we anticipate the fullness of the coming of Christ in the future!
I really like the both/and nature of the Advent season. Christ is both WITH US now and will be MORE WITH US in the future. This both/and aspect is evoked in the increasing number of lighted candles in the Advent wreath.
My prayer this Advent is that, as the weeks toward Christmas progress, the light of Christ in our hearts, our lives and our world grows—just as the light on the Advent wreath continues to grow. As this happens with us, may it occur ever more brilliantly in the lives of the children whose hearts we form and whose lives will brighten our future world!
—Sister Glavin
