First Sunday in Advent.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 5, 1 November 1915, Page 58

First Sunday m Advent.

THE PREPARATION FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST. Aim: To teach (i)tliat Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas ; (2) to look forward with joy to the Feast of the Nativity, and also to the Second Coming of our Iyord m Glory. Preparation : Show how God prepared the world through all the ages for the first Christmas Day (1) By first creating man m His Own Image, so that by and bye God might take human flesh and human nature ; (2) By His promise to Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and constantly m the prophets;' (3) By the leading of the Hebrew race to a higher knowledge, free from idolatry ; (4) By maintaining their national purity ; (5) 'By over-ruling political and national history so that "m the fulness of time " nearly all the inhabited world was under one gov-

ernment (Roman), with one official language (Greek). Presentation : A long preparation was necessary so that when Christmas came all might be ready for founding a universal, Catholic, Church. Note the joy of the angels at Christmas ; the joy of Mary, and of Zacharias, and of Simeon ;. the joy of the first Christmas confined to those who knew Jesus to be the Christ. So the joy -of each Christinas belongs to those who know that Jesus is our Saviour — No true Christian joy at Christmas except to those who iaow Jesus as Saviour and King. Advent also prepares for Second Coming. That, too, will be a time of great joy. We can be prepared for it (by having our hearts m tune with God. It is being prepared for , (1) By the ministry of the Church, m her Sacraments and teaching ; (2) In carrying the Gospel to all nations, making them long for the second coming to right all wrongs and destroy sin. We cannot look forward with joy to the Second Coming unless we are penitent and love Jesus Christ. If we have unforgiven sin we must be afraid of Jesus as our Judge. . But if we " love His appearing " and know Him as our Saviour we shall look forward to it with joy. We can best prepare for the Second Coming by learning to love Him, His Church, and her services, and His service here upon earth " which is perfect freedom."