Prepared for His Arrival

By: Daniel Pesado

Advent and Christmas are totally related.

Advent (“adventus“) means “coming” or “arrival.” The synonym used in the Greek is “Parousía“, which also means “coming” or “presence”, although we mostly use it to refer to the arrival of Jesus at the end of time.

In Advent we prepare to celebrate the first coming of Jesus, Christmas, while in the Parousia we prepare for the second and final coming of Jesus.

The first coming makes the second coming possible; the second coming is possible because there was a first coming.

That is why we can say that Christmas, even if we celebrate it one day, is part of God’s ongoing plan for the salvation of all people.

Recognizing or accepting that arrival as “a crossing of our path” with God, or him “coming out to meet us” should change our lives. Finally, we must understand what the meaning of that coming is for us. We are human beings created in the image of God, but we find ourselves oftentimes straying far from His purposes.

If we are prepared, Christmas makes it possible for Jesus to bring new life: He is born or is reborn in our hearts! That is why we must be aware of its importance and its personal meaning for each of us.

What does the coming of Jesus to earth mean for humans? What difference does the arrival of the Son of God into the world make in my daily life (motives, priorities, expectations)?

All these and many other questions can only be answered satisfactorily if we believe that Jesus, the child whom we celebrate at Christmas, is truly the Son of God.

For me he is! And for you?