“Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.”

We prayed these words at the start of Mass last Sunday, which was the First Sunday of the Advent Season. For the Church, Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation for the coming of Christ. Whether you’ve had the experience of running a race, climbing a mountain, trying to make it through the night while focusing on a single light guiding you home or carrying through a major work or endeavor to completion – you know what it feels like to prepare and to hope, while resolving to persevere to the end.

Advent marks the beginning of a new time of grace for our Church, even while it occurs near the end of the year and the end of the fall semester – a time when we have a lot on our plates, on our hearts and on our minds. While we strive to meet our deadlines and do our best with the work that’s been entrusted to us – even when it feels like we’re running in a million different directions – Advent helps us to keep our eyes up and focused on Christ. It also encourages us to keep looking forward so that we’re prepared to celebrate the first coming of Christ into this world. A first coming that also prepares us for that moment when Christ comes for each of us when our earthly course is finished. And, a first coming that reminds us of when Christ will come in glory at the end of days and all is at last made new.

In the meantime, we must “resolve to run forth” to Christ when he draws near to us each and every day, in our work, our play, our joys, our struggles and in the people and events in our lives. And, as we heard in the Solemn Blessing at the conclusion of last Sunday’s Mass, as you enter into Advent and all your year-end commitments, “may [God] make you firm in faith, joyful in hope and active in charity.”