This is my 54th Advent and it never gets old. It is a time for me to anticipate, renew, and realize the reality of Christ making “all things new.”

No matter how awful life can get from time to time, no matter how frustrated and seemingly hopeless we let ourselves become on those rare occasions, Advent is always a great time to rethink and recharge.

At our parish we start the liturgy in low lights, My Soul in Stillness Waits begins as someone walks down the aisle-lit candle in hand, processing towards the waiting wreath. Tonight I held the only light, a solitary figure-slowly, deliberately, carefully I made my way to the halo of evergreen. It was almost magical to be there to light the first purple candle that starts the season of Advent.

So how will I wait? How will I prepare? How will I expectantly ready myself for the coming of the Savior?

Things to ponder no doubt.

This I know, it is a time for each of us to examine our lives. What have we done with the time we have been given thus far? How have we multiplied the talents we were gifted with- have we made more, engaged ourselves for the betterment of humanity, or sadly just buried them?

“Life is short and we are dead a very long time” (Matthew Kelly) What will we do to begin anew this Advent 2013 as we move one step closer to the end of our days? What preparations have we made for the ever after by living and loving in the here and now?