The first of the four candle is lit in the wreath. Advent is now firmly upon us. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas is probably one of my favorite liturgical seasons in the Church. The tone of the readings intensifies with an ominous tinge of the end of the world. So often we get bogged down by life's daily drudgery that we neglect questions of true eternal life. "Be Watchful! Stay Alert!" Jesus tells us in this Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Advent. "For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." (Mark 24:37-44) This season is an opportunity to take an honest stock of our souls and ask: "Am I ready to meet Jesus face to face or not?" Now is the time to prepare.