>>The man was going to a very important meeting, but he could not find a parking space. He said, “Dear Lord, please take pity on me if I find that parking space. I promise, I promise. I’ll go to mass every day and I’ll stop drinking.”  Right then. A parking space appeared, the driver looked up to heaven and said, “Lord, never mind, I found one.”

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Today we begin our advent season. Advent is a time of preparation, waiting, hope and renewal.  A time of prayer, a time of change.  But waiting and hoping doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means reflecting, staying awake, and being watchful. Today’s gospel proclaims there will be signs.  Be on guard.  Pray constantly.  Signs.  Be vigilant and at times pray constantly for what? Maybe awake and watchful against letting our lives slip away, without doing those things and being the person which reflects Christ’s presence in our world through us.  Advent’s real meaning and purpose. Listen carefully to this following true story: Tom Anderson of New Jersey rented an ocean home for a two week vacation with his wife.  Before driving to the beach with his wife, Tom made a solemn promise to himself that for the next two weeks he would be the kind of husband that he knew he could be and should be. And so began their two week vacation.  For two weeks Tom made no phone calls to the office, checked no e-mails.  For two weeks he held his tongue when tempted to say something unkind. For two weeks he was loving, thoughtful, caring. Only one thing went wrong the entire vacation. It happened on the last evening. Tom, at dinner, noticed his wife staring at him during dinner in a very funny way.  He looked at her and said, “Honey, what in the world could be wrong?” Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and she said, “Tom, do you know something that I don’t know?” And he said, “What are you talking about?”  “Well,” she said “three weeks ago, I went to the doctor for a checkup, and since then you’ve been so kind to me. So loving.  So attentive. So please tell me the truth. Did he say something about you that I’m sick?  Do I have cancer? Am I going to die? Is that why you’ve been so kind, good and loving to me?” It took a full minute for all this to sink into Tom. Then Tom broke out into a huge laugh.  Throwing his arms around his wife, he said, “No, honey, you are not going to die. I’m just starting to live.” I’m just starting to live. That story dramatizes our Lord’s message to us, and this first Sunday of Advent, Jesus is urging us to start living.  He’s urging us to stop putting off, to stop procrastinating. He’s urging us to be on our guard against letting our life slip away without doing those things we should be doing. Advent means more than preparing for the birth of Jesus into the world.  Advent means instead the coming of the real Christ already in our lives, in our midst. Be alert. Live in hope.  And special blessings to the Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah.