Advent

We're into a new church year, starting with the season of Advent on December 3. Advent means "he comes." Advent is about the coming of our Lord to His people. That's what makes Christianity different than other religions. In other religions, you try to get to a higher power. But Christianity is about the Gospel: God comes to us. He comes to us in the Incarnation (God becoming flesh) and saves us through His perfect life, innocent suffering, death, and resurrection over the grave. That's what Advent is about. Advent is not just about preparing for Jesus to come in the manger at Bethlehem; that already happened! We remember the expectation of God's Old Testament people, even as we prepare our hearts for Christ to come again at the Last Day. There are three "comings" in Advent: (1) Jesus' birth in Bethlehem; (2) Jesus' coming to us in the Gospel and the Sacraments now; and (3) Jesus' coming at the Last Day.