God knows the limitations of our human nature very well - after all, he created it.  We can only focus our attention - really focus it - on one or two things at a time; we can't keep everything in mind all at once.  But on the other hand, we can't focus our attention on the same thing all the time either; we need variety, otherwise we become depressed.

These limitations of our human nature are one reason God inspired the Church to divide the year into liturgical seasons.  The mystery of our salvation includes the whole Bible, the whole life of Christ, and the whole history of the Church.  However, we can't possibly keep all those things in mind all the time.

So we focus on different aspects of them at different times of the year; which has the added benefit of giving variety to our spiritual lives.  In Lent we focus on the reality of sin and mercy and the need for repentance.  During Easter we focus on the power of God and the Resurrection.  Ordinary Time is when we focus on the everyday life and teachings of Christ and the wisdom they impart for our everyday life.  Advent, we focus on God's faithfulness.

St Paul puts it briefly in today's Second Reading: "God is faithful."  God didn't abandon the human race after original sin.  He promised to send a Savior, and he fulfilled his promise on the very first Christmas.

God has also promised that this Savior, Jesus Christ, will come again to bring our earthly exile to its completion, just as in Old Testament times God brought his Chosen People out of their exile in Babylon, as today's First Reading reminded us.  God is faithful; he will fulfill his promises - that's one of the key themes for Advent.

Maybe the most familiar and universal symbol of this beautiful truth is the Advent wreath with its four candles, which Christians have been using for more than 1000 years.  Its circular shape gives it no beginning or end - perfectly symbolizing the eternity of God and his love, and the everlasting life that Christ wants to give all of us.  

The different types of branches traditionally used in Advent wreaths are all from evergreen trees, trees that remain green even during the coldest, darkest days of winter.  They remind us that Christ's love remains fresh and strong even in life's most difficult moments - he never abandons us.  Traditional wreaths include laurel and holly branches.  The laurel branch was an ancient symbol of victory; it reminds us that on the first Christmas Christ came to bring victory over sin and Satan.  The holly branches are bordered with small, prickly edges, reminding us of Christ's crown of thorns, of the suffering by which he won his victory over sin and evil.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent.  Their light represents Christ himself, who is the light of the world: his Word shows us how we should live, and his love, expressed especially in the Eucharist, fills our hearts with comfort, like the warmth of a supernatural fire.  We light the candles gradually throughout Advent, because we know that the joy of salvation doesn't come fully into our lives all at once.  Rather, life as a Christian is a journey, a relationship with Jesus that has to be constantly renewed, just as a new candle is lit each week.  

If we are faithful to this friendship and don't abandon our journey, the fullness of joy will eventually be ours.  Christ has promised us all of this, and he wants us to rejoice in these promises, confident that since he is faithful, he can and will fulfill them.

In today's First Reading, Isaiah says twice, "Lord, you are our Father."  By reminding us today that God always fulfills his promises, the Church wants to put that same prayer in our hearts.  God is our Father; he is always looking after us, protecting us, and loving us.  Unlike earthly fathers, God's fatherly love has no limits, no imperfections, no blind spots.

Advent is meant to be a time when we renew our awareness of God's perfect Fatherhood in our lives, letting his love for us renew our spirits.  The best way to do that is to spend more time with God in prayer during this Advent season.

However, that will be impossible unless something else happens first.  Prayer is a funny thing: even though we usually don't see God with our physical eyes or hear him with our physical ears, when we turn our attention to him, he really is present, and we know it.  As we become aware of this presence, we also, almost automatically, become aware of our own sinfulness, because God is truth, and his light shines into all the hidden corners of our heart.

If in those corners we have been hiding some un-repented and un-confessed sins, or harboring some sinful habits, as soon as we sincerely try to pray, they will come into view and distract us.

So if we want to spend more time in prayer this Advent, filling our hearts with the Father's goodness and wisdom, the first thing we need to do is clean out those dark corners by taking a trip to the confessional.  In addition to our normal, weekly times for Confessions, we will also be having an Advent Penance Service with the other two parishes in our cohort.  This year it will be on December 13 at 7 PM at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish/St. Joseph church in Beverly.

Today, as we begin this sacred season, let's promise that we will let him clean up our dark corners, so that we can enjoy his presence as we prepare for the great commemoration of Christmas Day.