Jesus came, Jesus is coming again — yet Jesus is here! Advent captures us solemnly remembering the fullness of time to be celebrated when Christmas arrives. Divinely transcended are space and time in this three-fold arrival — past, future and the here and now — of who always was, who always will be, who always is in our hearts, the great “I AM.”

Recognizing three comings is knowledge; living the arrival in-between — the dwelling of Jesus in our hearts today — is wisdom.

Jesus came in the visible first “Parousia” — arrival — of the invisible God. The first Advent that we celebrate gets much attention due to the joy of giving, the thankfulness of getting and the hoopla of Christmastide. Doubtfully was there much hype in a cave in Bethlehem when God, as baby Jesus, first arrived to save humanity. At least until the shepherds, animals, Magi from the east, etc. came to adore the splendor with the angels on high. Yet Mary and Joseph, in their trust, obedience and humility were certainly joyful from the first moment with this fully divine, fully human presence in their midst.

Since her fiat, we learn from the Blessed Mother that when you go on a journey with Jesus, you do not come back the same way. The arduous trek on which she and her husband traversed had just begun with the birth of the Christ child. Jesus’ first arrival is the “starting” — of God restoring mankind back to him. So, when renditions of shepherds, animals, Wise Men and angels come into play along with the gifts of Christmas joy in our own homes, we can be reminded of the reason to give thanks. The true spirit of Christmas with Jesus in our hearts starts and keeps us on the right path. With all the mysteries of life, with its joys, sorrows, illumination and glory — aka the Gospel stories through the rosary — Christmas should represent Jesus’ timeless presence in our hearts.

Jesus will come again. Yes, indeed, he will come in glory with salvation for his people. Perhaps the hottest topic nowadays in Christian talk from small groups to multimedia is “when the heck is that arrival going to be?” Pandemics, politics, pride, weather, disasters, etc. can bring about such thoughts. Then we remind ourselves what our Lord told his Apostles and others who were listening: Always be prepared. “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Mt 25:13). Through this parable, Jesus clearly illustrates his second coming. No Christian desires to fall into the group of believers who fail to prepare for the final arrival of our Lord.

Jesus is here! That recognition is why we celebrate his birth, how we prepare for his coming in glory and how we live today. St. Bernard, a 12th-century abbot and Doctor of the Church, spoke of this invisible coming of the Lord in spirit, “Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like the road on which we travel from the first coming to the last.” He explains that Christ is our redeemer in the first coming and “he will appear as our life” in the final. Yet we are to be at rest and consolation in this “middle.”

Catholic Watchmen, by the example of their patron St. Joseph, are prompted to gaze from the heights to the breach of their household, providing spiritual leadership for their families, neighbors, church and community. We do this by taking care of each other physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually, driven by the truth of God’s word. This guides all of us to act out of an authentic love for God. This is when the Christ child truly arrives and lives in our hearts.

Deacon Bird ministers at St. Joseph in Rosemount, All Saints in Lakeville, and assists the archdiocese’s Catholic Watchmen movement. Reach him at [email protected]. Learn about the Catholic Watchmen at archspm.org/faith-communities/men or at facebook.com/thecatholicwatchmen.