Thus begins today’s reading from Isaiah (45:6c-8, 18, 21c-25).  He then goes on to tell of the power and the glory of God.  God created light and dark, the heavens and the earth.  God provides safety and justice.  Those who turn against Him in anger will return in shame.

The little babe for whom we are preparing is this same Deity!

Do we appreciate enough the King of the Universe and the Lord of our lives?  And, if we confess Him as Lord, is he truly Lord over every aspect of our lives?  It is important that we move beyond the sentimentality of the season to go deeper into the stark reality of the mission of the God-Man.  He came as Savior and Redeemer, to give us the opportunity to be with Him forever in heaven.  It is a big deal.  In fact, it is the whole deal.  Jesus says,

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.  What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?  What could one give in exchange for his life?  Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. (Mark 8:34-38)

In the end, if we do not attain heaven we are the most wretched of beings.  So let this be the start of an even closer imitation of Christ in our daily living.  There is no better way to strive toward perfection than to come to know Christ.  Mass whenever possible during the week.  Scripture reading and meditation daily.  Let our memorial of Christ’s first coming usher in a new coming into our own lives in a special way each day from now on.

There is no one else like Him!  Just ask St. Augustine who, after a long time searching in all the wrong places, says at the beginning of his Confessions:

Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.