from meditation by Father John Kavanaugh, SJ "Ethics Notebook"

"As a child
I thought Advent was an artificial thing
It seemed a forced time of year
a concoction to get us excited about the coming of Christmas
It felt fake

After all
the birth of Christ had happened a long time ago
What was the point of pretending that it hadn't?
It was like going through the motions of contrived expectancy
when we knew the outcome in advance

Now
I am beginning to see Advent differently
The cycle of the seasons that we as a worshiping people
live through each year is not an exercise in 'let's pretend'
It is a recognition that the entry of God into our lives
while its essence is accomplished
is still psychologically unfinished

As long as we breathe
there is more of our lives to open
to unbar
to unlock
There is always more of us that we might let God enter
There is no end to the ways that the Word of God
can more fully take on our flesh


This is especially true of our need to acknowledge
how utterly we rely on God's healing power for our salvation
We so want to be whole and finished
that our greatest temptation is to think and hope the task is done
Oh, if this conversion could only be our last
If this long journey of faith could be neat, final and complete


Advent is an ongoing journey into a deeper reality