Certainly, on this Sunday, the Pope said, the Gospel embarks on us to one of the most "evocative" motives of the Advent season: the visitation of the Lord to humanity. Pope Francis pointed out three visits of the Lord: the first, in the past, with the Incarnation, and Birth of Jesus at Christmas; the second, in the present, as Jesus visits us continually, every day; and the final visit, in the future, when Jesus "will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead."
Season Of Advent is Preparation, Expectation, Anticipation, Hope And Joy Began On Sunday And Runs Through December 24
Advent heartens us to reflect on the diversity between our daily routine and the anticipated coming of the Lord. The Gospel, the Pope said, is not trying to scare us, but "to open our horizons" to further proportions, giving meaning even to everyday life.
This outlook, he continued, is also an invitation to "sobriety, to not be dominated by the things of this world" but rather to keep them in their proper place. If, on the other hand, we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by a concern for material things, we will not be able to recognize what is much more important: our final confrontation with the Lord. And so, the Pope said, Advent is "an invitation to vigilance, because, not knowing when He will come, we must always be ready to depart."
During Advent, Pope Francis concluded, "we are called to enlarge the horizons of our hearts, to be surprised by the life that is presented each day with its newness. To do this, we need to learn to not depend on our own securities, our own established plans, because the Lord comes in the hour which we don't imagine."
The season of Advent has a rich tradition and culture among the Church's history worldwide. So, feel free to explore this wonderful season of great expectation.
