Petition: "Lord, you speak to me of your coming: you show me how time and history acquire a new meaning, with you at its beginning and at its end. Help me to orient my whole life towards you; in this time of Advent; help me to prepare for your arrival by growing in love for you." 

Gospel Passage: Lk 21: 25-28.34-36  

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand. Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man. 

1. Who is coming? 

The scriptures speak with rich meaning about Emmanuel, God-with-us, the one who is coming. He is a descendant of David's family, a sapling and an upright branch, who will practice law and justice (the virtues of a good king). He is Jesus Christ who has come into the world to bring the justice of God, salvation by means of love. He who comes is the Son of Man, on a cloud, with power and great glory. And Son of God, who lives in God's world and shares his power and glory. He who comes at Christmas and he who shall come in the final judgment is the Word incarnate in Mary's womb. He who comes is our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Christ, the conqueror of death and sin, who lives in eternity but makes himself present in history. 

2. The meaning of time 

For us as Christians, the only meaning of time is in Jesus Christ. He is the center of history and of our hearts. History finds in him its point of departure (Christ is the alpha) and its point of arrival (Christ is the omega). Time and history culminate in him; in him they achieve their absolute fullness and their supreme meaning. 

Without Jesus Christ, time and history are merely accidental. With Christ, they are a plan of God, a history of salvation, an anvil on which to forge our decision in freedom and responsibility. 

For us, time is not a mere succession of seconds, minutes and hours - a chain of days, months and years without a specific direction, at the mercy of impersonal blind forces. Time with its centuries and millennia is history, steered by God; it has a guiding unity and harmony, consistence and cohesion. Its unity is not to be found in empires or ideologies, as perishable as human beings themselves, but in Jesus Christ, who is yesterday, today and forever. Daily life, with its trivialities and monotony, is part of a divine project, a piece of the great puzzle of the history of salvation planned by God, and it leads somewhere. 

The meaning of time includes the meaning of my time. Doesn't this reality of our faith give great value to the life of every Christian, to your life? 

3. The Christian's response: to pray and grow in love 

The Gospel indicates two attitudes: to be on the alert and to pray. It is very appropriate for us to be on the alert, so that when the Word comes to us in the flesh of a child we may be able to accept him and live out the mystery. Prayer is necessary for only through prayer is the mystery of God's actions opened to the human mind and heart. St Paul in turn points out two other attitudes to the Thessalonians: to believe and have great love for one another and for all, and to behave in a way pleasing to God. What better way to prepare for the coming of Love than to grow in love! In his earthly life, Jesus Christ did nothing but seek to please his Father; a wonderful way to prepare for Christmas is to try to please God in everything. St John of the Cross concluded one of his poems in the following way: "Love is my only destiny." The first coming of Christ at Christmas is a coming of love, and so is his return at the end of the centuries, his Parousia. Between the love of Christ who comes and who will come lies human life which, as in a symphony, will develop the theme of love with which the composition begins and ends. Growing in love emphasizes its dynamic aspect: to grow in love for God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; in love for Mary and for the saints, for one's family, relatives, friends, strangers, the needy, the sick, sinners... How? Well, what comes to mind? Undoubtedly many things. Abounding in love emphasizes generosity in love, this typical trait of Christian existence. Are you generous with your love or do you gauge it with the yardstick of your selfishness? Blessed are the generous in love, because they will take part in the assembly of the just at the time of Jesus Christ's Parousia. 

Questionnaire: To help you examine your life in the light of the inspirations God just gave you in these moments you shared with him. 

1) How am I preparing for the Lord's coming at Christmas? Is there any surprise I want to give him? 

2) Do I pray to grow in my knowledge of Christ and my love for him? 

3) When I make or consider my decisions about my path in life, do I base myself on my feelings or on the truth about life, that it is passing and has a direction?