| The countdown to Christmas is on. Everything from storefront windows to websites has been overhauled in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. As fun as it is to anticipate December 25, what if Christmastime doesnât end when we wake up on December 26?
The liturgical calendarâan annual cycle of seasons and days based on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesusâhas Christmas stretching from December 25 all the way through January 9. And not only that: while our celebration of Christmas can be elongated, so too can our preparation for it.
Advent, which means "arrival," invites us to look forward not only to the birth of Jesus but to his second coming as well. During Advent, a time of anticipation that began November 27 and runs through December 24, we get ready not only for the glee of Christmas morning but also for the days thereafter, including the future moment when our ultimate hope is realized.
"Scriptureâs prophecies of the Promised One often have layers of meaning and multiple fulfillment," writes Kelli B. Trujillo in the introduction to CTâs daily Advent readings. "They frequently point toward a fulfillment in the prophetâs own time but also direct our gaze toward the Messiah and his first coming as well as the Second Advent we await."
In the weeks both before and after Christmas Day, Christians have a great deal to celebrate. Not only do we take joy in observing the precious past event of Christâs birth, but we remind ourselves of the greatest day yet to come: when Jesus returns to make all things new. |
