1st Sunday of Advent - C

Most of us have heard the expression, "The past is history; the future is a mystery; this moment is a gift. That is why it is called 'the present'."

To live in the present moment is both the invitation and the calling of the Advent season.

Advent is the season in which we are aware of both the past and the future.

But above all else, it is a time to live in the present.

The Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer for the Advent season speaks of the two comings of Christ – the first an historical event of the past, and the second at a time in the future which no one knows.

To speak of two comings of Christ is not entirely accurate, however, for Christ has indeed come in the past, and he will certainly come again in the future, but he is also truly here in the present.

In fact, it is not logically possible to speak of a person as having both a past and a future unless it is possible to know that person in the present.

As we think of Jesus as an historical person, he has a past, a present, and a future: he is the co-eternal Son of the Father, who was born at a moment is human history, and who our liturgical prayer teaches us died, is risen, and will come again.

In our own personal spiritual lives, our experience of Jesus has a past, present, and a future: we have come to Christ as children, we look forward to seeing him one day face-to-face, and for most of us, we encounter him now in what we pray is an adult and mature spiritual relationship.

We come to meet Christ in a past, present, and future dimension in the liturgy: our Eucharist is a memorial of his Last Supper; it is a foretaste of his heavenly banquet; and in the liturgy Christ is present right now in our Assembly, in his Word, in the Church's minister, and in the sacrament of his Body and Blood.

During the season of Advent and in the Christmas season, we will often speak of Jesus as “Emmanuel – God with us.”

Jesus was truly “Emmanuel – God with us,” for those who encountered him during his life on earth.

He is “Emmanuel – God with us,” for those of us who claim to meet him in the life of the church, in word and sacrament, and wherever we recognize his image in our neighbor, especially the one who is neediest among us.

And he is “Emmanuel – God with us,” who promises to come again in glory, as our Creed states, to judge the living and the dead.

As our prayers may sometimes draw our attention to two comings of Christ during the season of Advent – a past and a future – let us also make these coming weeks of Advent at time to recognize Christ in the present moment of our lives each day.

"The past is history; the future is a mystery; this moment is a gift. That is why it is called 'the present'."

 

Thomas P. Ferguson
December 3, 2006