Past, Present, and Future Rolled into One

Advent rolls past, present, and future into one. The Advent Mass readings are like the Church’s scrapbook as we see prophets like Isaiah, kings, Elizabeth, Zachary, John the Baptist—people of the past looking to the future Messiah. The Second Coming is always before our eyes, as we are reminded that we “do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Mt. 24:42). And we live in the present, aware that Christ comes in mystery through every moment of our lives. Think back over the past few days to discover how often God has come to you in his Word, in the Eucharist, in the advice of a friend, in the lyrics of a song, in the smile of an elder, in the hug of a child. In every moment of every day God surrounds us with grace.