LOGOS Mr Paul Corrigan, Chaplain at JPII Previous Publications

The season of Advent is centered on waiting. I guess that is why it is not embraced by the majority of Canadians. We are not a patient people. We prefer to prepare for Christmas by celebrating Christmas. Our culture prides itself on the ability to gratify desires in a McDonaldland minute. Christmas is such an opulent expression of joy.

Celebrating Advent amidst this is often seen as impersonating the Grinch. In our culture, to put an air of preparation and patience amidst the larger "19 Shopping Days Left Until Christmas" mindset is to mark oneself out as a radical. Even a fear-filled and joyless radical. Nothing could be further from the truth however, we are called to be "waiting in joyful hope" not for Santa of course, but for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

On Dec 5, at 1 p.m. our school community (that includes you!) will gather with Fathers John and Patrick to celebrate the season to celebrate our waiting in joyful hope as did those who went before us, in anticipation of the greatest story ever told.

A long time ago, in this galaxy, in a land not so far away, a land called Nazareth, the angel Gabriel was sent by the Lord to a young woman.

The angel asked her if she would bear the Son of God in her womb, if she would be the mother of God and nurture the Christ child within her, so that God would be born unto man as flesh.

And time stood still in that instant, and all of creation focused on that particular spot and that particular moment, to wait for her reply.

And Adam and Eve, who had been promised that one day, somehow, what they had done would be undone, waited for her reply.

And Abraham and Sarah, who had been promised descendants as the stars and to be the grandparents of great nations, waited for her reply.

And Moses and all the twelve tribes of Israel, who were given God's covenant, and were freed from slavery into the promised land, but waited for a gift greater than any land, waited for her reply.

And David, who sang the praises of the Lord in his Psalms, and united a nation that would wait for its true King, waited for her reply.

And Solomon, who, in all his glory, knew that their was someone coming whose Glory would make even him look like a pauper, waited for her reply.

And all the prophets throughout all the centuries, who constantly reminded the people of their duty to the Lord and told of the coming of the Messiah to a nation that seemed bent against following the word of the Lord, waited for her reply.

All of the world, waited upon that moment, where Mary accepted the Christ child and our God experienced flesh, taking on our suffering, our temptation, and our pain.

We too, are asked to take Christ into ourselves, not in flesh but in the spirit... we are asked to take Christ ourselves for us and for others. For where else do we see Christ, but in each other.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!