This year, the first week of Advent and the first candle we
light represents hope. We aren’t just hoping for a good Christmas, the
opportunity to buy gifts and travel, or for a new N*SYNC Christmas album (I
know some of you are… don’t lie). But hope, as a Catholic virtue, means
trusting in God. Trusting that God will answer His promise of sending Jesus
again to finish His mission, and we eagerly await this second coming.
Advent is a time of great anticipation—recalling the
anticipation of the Old Testament. We are waiting for our Savior. We often have
misguided hope. Our trust gets misplaced. Even though Christ has already come,
Advent both reminds us of how exciting that fact is by getting us excited for
the celebration of His original coming while directing our attention towards
His second coming. This isn’t a season of shopping (or N*SYNC), but a season of
anticipation and hope.