In the 1st lection from St. Pauls' letter to the people at Rome (chapter 15) he tells us that we are to have hope in the scriptures. Thus, the 2nd Sunday of Advent-Coming, in our preparation for the celebration of Jesus' birthday anniversary at Christmas, is often nicknamed, "Bible Sunday" since scripture engenders within us that hope which the ancients sensed in their long wait for the Messiah, Jesus.

(Messiah meaning the Jewish-Hebrew liberator, the one anointed with holy oil, The Christos, savior and leader; The Messiah anticipated, appeared as the baby Christ Jesus, both God and Man.) We grow up with hopes and plans; the closer these are to the freedom of Christ inside our hearts and minds, the more holy and Christ-like we may appear to be and the more we treasure and discover beauty and goodness all around us.

Individuals who look forward to spiritual hope as taught by the Bible, the hope that brings Jesus Christ into our lives more than does the materialistic coming of Santa Claus into our wallets, cupboard, toolshed or driveway.

We can foster peace and denounce terrorism more readily if we provision strangers with assets equivalent to our own. Indeed, mutuality in the gifts of love are longer lasting through caring relationships than are perishable "things". Our hope is curtailed when we look forward to presents for ourselves. Instead, realize that all the riches of life are gifts from God to us, to be experienced, shared and given away. Our observance of the four weeks of Advent-Coming is intensified when we contemplate ways to show others the humble arrival of the baby Jesus: so pure, so beautiful, so simple, so true. It is a tall order for us humans to radiate this sort of Christian witness. To celebrate the faith is phenomenal; to preach at people can sometimes be trite. St. John the Baptizer heard his call and grasped his mission. So must we.

Our worship and ministry is borne out through all the seasons of our lives. The Nativity-birth-Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ is our focus during Advent-Coming. This season has been lost on so many post-Christian misbelievers and is still at an O.T., not yet, future stage for our Jewish kin. It is more productive for us to look away selflessly to "the author and finisher of our faith". A theology of hope encourages us to recognize that if we keep searching out the "crib of hope" we will find more at the manger scene than just statues of the Holy Family, animals, shepherds and messenger-angels; a shed, straw, lights and other props. Our life is no act-game of theatre.

The symbolic and limited, fires up the O.T. prophecies so that we may realize that God has fulfilled his promises to us already. Yet, we have still to meet our privilege to "do him service". While we still have some time, let us attend hope anticipating the Kingdom of God. We are invited (after due preparation and serious repentance) to "taste and see how gracious the Lord is"; to search out "a sacred foretaste of His heavenly banquet". "For the altar is another Bethlehem; the Blessed Sacrament, a continual Christmass".

May our recognition of Advent-Coming know that the Messiah is come; that His Spirit is amongst us now; and that we await our fulfillment in Him at the finalization of all things.