As we find ourselves two full weeks into the Advent time, we know that during these four weeks total, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth through prayer and reflection. We are, by now, readily familiar with these things: that we are contemplating the First Coming of Jesus as Savior, and we are anticipating His promised Second Coming. And, amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives – where He is constantly making Himself present to us.
As mark this halfway point and we continue the journey through this season, we might ask ourselves: What kind of disciples are we? Do we readily recognize the moments of grace which the Lord reveals to us each day? Are our minds and hearts troubled by doubt and anxiety? Or do we have deep faith in Jesus, faith which no obstacle is big enough to shake? Do we wish to abandon ourselves to the care of God? Are we ready to be instruments of God’s care for others?
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“Advent is an invitation to see and hear the Lord, who is present in our daily lives, accompanying us on our journey. This reality may get lost at times as we become ‘distracted’ by the many concrete aspects of daily living; or perhaps we only look for spectacular and miraculous signs of the Lord’s presence. Nonetheless, God often conceals Himself in the most common and ordinary situations in our lives and we need to be constantly aware of this reality.” Pope Francis
