In “Wikipedia” it says that Advent is “a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus at the Second Coming.” The article also talks of another coming: “in our hearts daily.” I think this means in prayer. Prayer often can be experienced as “expectant waiting and preparation” for the felt presence of God. Sometimes it does not come so easily. Waiting can be difficult, and even cause frustration or anxiety. The Scripture readings during this season express this anxious waiting by the ancient Jewish people: “When is our Messiah coming?”
My wife and I love to light up the candles in the wreath and do a reading and prayer together everyday. We follow the Advent calendar and look at the daily Mass readings in the “Word Among Us”. This is all very wonderful, and I recommend it. But I have to confess that I have always had a hard time finding a particularly special or genuine feeling about Advent. It somehow eludes me, the purpose of honoring all this waiting, when our faith tells us that our Crucified and Risen Lord is always here with us.
Last Sunday my Lord gave me a beautiful image of what the “Advent feeling” is like. In one of the Advent Gospels (Tuesday of the First Week):

“Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, for although You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned You have revealed them to the child-like.” (Lk 10: 21)

This reminded me of the joy and surprise that I felt during the homily that Fr. Chris Cleary CP gave on the First Sunday of Advent. So I have to share it with you. This wonderful priest told
us a story. In this story two girls are sitting together in a very happy mood. The first girl proudly shows the other girl that she has 5 pennies in her hand. The other child smiles and responds, “Well, I have 10 pennies myself!” The first girl says, “Yeah? Let me see.,” And the second girl opens her hand to show the 5 pennies she also has. So the first one says, “You don’t have 10 pennies!” The second girl responds with a beaming smile, “I do, because my father said he is going to give me 5 more pennies tonight. AND HE PROMISED!”
Right then and there I had this wonderful insight into the meaning of this blessed season we are in. This second girl is still waiting for those 5 extra cents all the way until nighttime, but she has such confidence, trust, and faith in the promise of her beloved father that those coins can just as well be there in her hand!
Our Heavenly Father has promised Eternal Life for us with His very Son and Self. He promised! Why should we be anxious? Our Blessed Lord, thank You for the faith you give us every day. Beloved, You ARE the One “who was, and who is, and who is to come.” With peace in my heart and a smile on my face just like the little girl’s, I will wait and sing, “Marana tha, our Lord come!”

Orlando Hernández