December 3, 2023
One question that I often ask engaged couples who come seeking marriage preparation is this: What scares you most about beginning this new journey together?
The replies are interesting, to say the least, but often quite honest: “I’m scared I will mess-up this love I’ve been given,” said one groom. “I am afraid that I will forget to share everything with him, especially how I really feel,” offered a bride-to-be. One young man once jokingly responded: “I just hope I will remember our anniversary.”
All legitimate marriage fears, to be sure. And yet, with any new beginnings in life, the new doors that open to us offer opportunities for growth and for becoming the authentic, selfless person each of us is called by God to be.
That is why the season of Advent, which we begin today, is truly a gift for us as disciples of Jesus Christ. It is a time leading-up to the celebration of Christmas in which we examine our hearts and lives, asking the big questions that must be asked if we want to have a genuine encounter with the Lord on this journey of faith and be prepared for His coming in glory. Thus, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly doing our best to live the Gospel message of mercy and forgiveness? Are we loving as Christ asks us to love others?
New beginnings can be frightening, but Advent’s first week reminds us that we do not walk alone, and that Love awaits us at every turn, even when we stumble along the way. Let us strive to make these next four weeks a time of increased prayer and virtuous living as we prepare to celebrate the reason why we do all that we do in the first place: because “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”