Advent Child: Not your average Final Fantasy

Veni, veni, Emmanuel

captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel! First Sunday of Advent, 27 November 2005 Today is the beginning of the Advent season. What is Advent? Advent is the 4 weeks before the Nativity of Christ, aka Christmas. It is also the beginning of a new Church year. During Advent, we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. During this time we are reminded to: 1) Prepare ourselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love, 2) Thus to make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and 3) Thereby to make ourselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world. We can do these by taking part in the penitential services that will be held in the coming weeks. At the same time we should genuinely re-examine our lives and see if we can make a beneficial difference to the lives of those around us. Do we buy that packet of tissue from the blind man on the street? Christ says that the least we do to our brothers, the least we do to Him. Can we at least try to make peace with our enemies? Christ also says that we must love our enemies. A new year lies ahead, shall we make a fresh start? O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that morns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel!