God Is With Us: Advent and Christmas 2020-2021

Advent: During this season we prepare ourselves for three comings of the Lord:

  1. His coming in history, which we will commemorate during the Christmas season;
  2. His coming today in the sacraments, the scriptures, and our ordinary lives; and
  3. His coming at the end of the world to establish his eternal kingdom.


Through his incarnation, ongoing presence, and second coming, Jesus is truly Emmanuel, which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). During Advent, let us dwell on the past, when God foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah and then “made his dwelling among us” by taking on human flesh (John 1:14). Let us focus on the present, since Jesus has promised that he will always be with us, “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And let us look to the future, when “God’s dwelling [will be] with the human race” (Revelation 21:3).

Christmas Time: Jesus was born “to consecrate the world by his most loving presence” (Roman Martyrology). By entering his own creation as the Son of Man, God invited all humanity to become beloved sons and daughters of God. That includes you! Use these devotions and resources to celebrate the octave of Christmas and the rest of Christmas Time, including the Feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany of the Lord, and the Baptism of the Lord.