+He Comes!

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.

That’s from another one of my favorite psalms, number 98.  I shiver every time at that line, "for he comes!"  When reciting it by myself, I usually work myself up into a shout by that point.

I say this every year at Advent, but it bears repeating… I love this season to pieces.  It speaks to me at a very deep level.  I think I may even love it more than Christmas itself… which may seem highly odd, but hang on.  I am an Advent person.

Some people have a Lenten approach.  Sometimes I do too, it’s just not my habitual stance.  We all wander in the desert sometimes;  the Spirit often speaks to us there, allures us there.

Some people have a Paschal approach.  All Christians do to some degree, or they wouldn’t BE Christians.  The Triduum is the one time of year that speaks to me more than Advent.

Many people even have an Ordinary Time approach.  They cling to the Lord in all his fullness and drink everything in.  I think at one point in my journey I thought that was the most desirable.  And I still do often take that approach myself.  But it’s not the most natural, the most congenial.

I don’t think there are many people who are habitually in a Nativity or Epiphany frame of mind… Those moments are glorious when they come, but by their nature they tend to lead on, pointing beyond themselves to ministry and to the Cross.  We come down from Tabor and set our faces toward Jerusalem.

But I am an Advent person.  Advent is… expectant.  Full of hope.  It is a time of waiting, but not bored waiting – excited waiting.  Blessings have been showered upon us, God knows, but the best is yet to come.  The eschaton is here and now, but we don’t participate in it fully yet.  All things will be made new.

MARANA THA!  Come, Lord Jesus!

Come into my life once more and make it completely your own!

Come into our world once more and make it new!

Come upon our altar again and let us adore!  Make us one!

COME AGAIN IN GLORY AND RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH!

Cast your fire upon the earth, Lord!  Never cease!  Purify us, then we shall be clean!  The flame of your glory, the refiner’s fire, is worth more than all else.

The Spirit and the Bride say:  Come!  And in them both I say it too:  Come, my Lord, my Love!

This weary world trembles, ready to thunder praise.  Come, Joy of the Nations!

I love you.  Though a sinner, still I will praise you and wait in joyful hope for your coming.

That’s Advent.  That’s me.  That’s how I’m made.  Thank you, Beloved.