In our Advent longings, we are called to remember that our deepest need is unity with God, and our separation from Him is due to sin and guilt we have no power to wash away. But he has rescued us. He is rescuing us. He will rescue us. Let us hope in him.

“Keep watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” What does it mean to be ready, to stay awake, to keep watch? Jesus invokes images of spirituality, lovers, oil, and which show us ways to prepare for the coming of His kingdom.

We’ve come to associate the idea of “apocalypse” with “disaster” or “the end”, but the word apocalypse actually means uncovering. And apocalyptic literature is a genre that’s means to uncover what is hidden — sometimes about the future, yes, and sometimes about the past, too, but primarily apocalyptic literature is about the hidden realities of the present.