Friends, it is Advent again, already. Already started buying Christmas presents? Maybe not. Let’s take a deep breath while we reflect on Advent, which is seen as the first season by the church—the beginning of the church calendar. The Church does not see the start of the year in January; it technically or theologically sees the beginning of the year in Advent.

What is Advent? Advent comes from the Latin word “advenire” which means to arrive… 

Advent is the time of preparation of the arrival of the Son of God in two ways: for 4 weeks we look at texts that talk about the coming or birth of Jesus Christ, but it is also a waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ, when the new heaven will be brought down to earth. This Advent, we follow the thoughts and reflections of Magrey de Vega in his book “Awaiting the Already -An Advent Journey through the Gospels.” Our first Sunday leads us into the gospel of Mark. From Mark's perspective, he would want us to slow down, turn around, and prepare the way of Jesus.