Give God your love this short Advent season

This year we have the shortest Advent season possible. Our last week of Advent can begin no earlier than the first anticipated Mass on Saturday afternoon, and it will come to an end with the first anticipated Mass of Christmas Eve on Sunday afternoon.

This Advent week consists of 24 hours or less. It seems to be a trick of liturgical time. With the need to decorate for Christmas on the third Friday of Advent, it may seem that we even skipped the fourth Sunday of Advent.

But, perhaps the gift of this quick, one-day week this year is to show us that God does not wear a watch, use a smartphone or carry a day planner, and His time is vastly different from ours.

We read and pray about that in the Psalms, that man does not know time in the mind of God, and all we can do is be grateful for all the time God gives us. It is important to realize that both God’s love and His thoughts are bigger than our imagination.

Perhaps the one great gift of this Sunday is to realize that the Creator, Savior and Sanctifier of the Universe wants to be with US. That is why we call His Son, the Emmanuel — God With Us.

Nothing is impossible for God, as Gabriel stated, and yet because He allows or gives us true freedom, it is our choice and responsibility if we want to be with God and give Him our love.

Will you give Him love this Christmas?

We hear the phrase twice in our readings today, “The Lord is with you.” The Prophet Nathan says it to David when David is disturbed that the Ark of the Covenant is kept in a humble tent. Gabriel says it to Mary when he greets her.

We hear it so often at Mass; what does it mean to you? When it is said at Mass, “the Lord is with you” it is for all of us gathered here at church. It means that the presence of the Lord is within and among us all. Our challenge is to act and be in service and acceptance of the will of God, the Lord is with you.

We are challenged today to hear and act on the words of the Angel Gabriel and let God dwell in us as Jesus began human life with the very words of the Angel in Mary. He desires to begin to grow in us this day in love and be alive and active on Christmas through us.

Will you give Him room and say yes, as did Mary?

A woman reported excitedly to a friend and a co-worker that she was visited by a jolly bearded fellow with a big bag over his shoulder.

The friend asked, “Do you mean that Santa Claus came early to see you in person?”

The woman replied, ”Oh, no, my son came home from college with his dirty laundry.”

Take the few hours of this day and give God quiet prayer and active love. Life and love are His times and He grants them in love to us to remember joyous Dec. 24 and the virtue of hope, dreams and imaginations of love known and shared.

This is important, for in life most people grow up, yet sadly, there are many who seemingly also grow old and ancient and never remember and share love. Don’t be one of them!