Bringing All Things to God
By Fr. James Conlon

You may be surprised to hear that a new year has begun! No, you have not slept through November and December or missed Christmas and all its festivities. The New Year I speak of is the Liturgical Year, which focuses, not on the seasons and the movement of the planets around the sun, but on the events in the life of Christ celebrated in the liturgy of the Church. This Liturgical Year begins with the season of Advent when we are reminded of our central Christian hope that Christ will return and take us to share in his eternal life. It is a season of anticipation and preparation when we look forward to celebrating the great feast of Christmas not just as a commemoration of the historical event but as a foretaste of what we hope and pray for in our belief in the return of Christ. Our Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent (printed below) speaks of the return of Christ with "power and glory" and our need to be vigilant and prepared.

It is no coincidence that the Church chooses these dark days of winter in which to reflect on His return. Then as we prepare for and celebrate Christmas we too will experience the growing brightness of the post winter solstice period, reminding us of the dawning of salvation. Darkness and light are familiar symbols in our faith and in our lives. We know the darkness of death and the bright promise of immortality. We have experienced the darkness of sin and the brightness of reconciliation. We have felt the pain and darkness of broken promises and vows and basked in the warm light of new beginnings. We have known the darkness of isolation and the embracing light of friendship and community. Each new beginning offers us another opportunity to reflect and change, to strive to be better, to see the mystery and wonder so often hidden in our broken and beaten world. Let us do this as a community, bonded by faith awake to the movement of God's Spirit in our lives.

Happy New Year!

Jesus said to his disciples:
"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.

"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man."

(Luke 21:25-28.34-36)