He's Coming... But When?

Today I went to an old-timey Tridentine Mass to begin the new liturgical year. While the structure, style and readings were different from what I would have heard had I attended an Ordinary Form of the mass, the message from Christ that the Church focuses on is virtually identical: you don't know when He will return but you had better stay alert for that day. The OF Gospel reading was MK 13: 33-37; The EF Gospel reading was LK 21:25-33 (which was similar to yesterday's Gospel reading from Luke). The messages from each Gospel overlap, parallel and reinforce their identical themes even if they do not contain the same content. Early in his homily during the November 30 Divine Liturgy (during a trip with ecumenical undertones, Pope Francis states

This is especially true for us Christians, because for us the truth is the person of Jesus Christ. The example of Saint Andrew, who with another disciple accepted the invitation of the Divine Master, “Come and see”, and “stayed with him that day” (Jn 1:39), shows us plainly that the Christian life is a personal experience, a transforming encounter with the One who loves us and who wants to save us. In addition, the Christian message is spread thanks to men and women who are in love with Christ, and cannot help but pass on the joy of being loved and saved. Here again, the example of the apostle Andrew is instructive. After following Jesus to his home and spending time with him, Andrew “first found his brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus” (Jn 1:40-42). It is clear, therefore, that not even dialogue among Christians can prescind from this logic of personal encounter.

While he is speaking in the context of a message at an Orthodox service, I think these are useful reminders of the call that God gives to us that is our purpose. During Advent as we reflect on this time of His coming and prepare for His birth, let us also remember to recognize the Truth that is Him and the personal encounter with him. As we experience another Advent, in preparation for His birth and as we face this uncertainty of His Second Coming, we can remain on the watch; and, we can follow the example of Saint Andrew and show others this Truth by sharing this joy in our ordinary living. Being happy around others: from a smile, to a hello to a conversation; giving your best at your work (with or without praise) during your work day. These little, though perhaps not easy, acts of the ordinary may be a great way to spread the message of Christ during all seasons, but in particular during Advent.