CAMDEN (December 3, 2006) — Bishop Joseph Galante said on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent last week that Catholics should take advantage of this time of the Church year to deepen their awareness of who Jesus is and to prepare for his coming again at the end of time.
“In our growing awareness of who Jesus is and of the relationship we have with Jesus, Advent is also a time of preparation for ourselves, for the next coming of Jesus, not [just] the one that already happened in history, but the one that is to come. Each one of us will meet with Jesus at the time of our death. All of us, all creation, will see Jesus when he comes again in glory.”
“We should not fear this,” he said, “but we should look forward with joy and anticipation.” He made the remarks in a special audio Advent Reflection posted on the diocese’s website last weekend.
In the reflection, Bishop noted that we can sometimes take Jesus’ coming for granted. “I don’t know if we can fully appreciate the coming of Jesus into our world because we’ve always lived with His presence among us. We have not experienced that lack of hope, that feeling of darkness and despair that was present in all peoples before Jesus’ arrival,” he said. Bishop said Advent should inspire people to grow in the realization that Jesus is at the center of Christian life. “Please let this time of Advent, this time of preparation for His birth, let it be a constant reminder that Jesus has come for us, and that Jesus will come again.”