Advent--the Coming of the Lord

In the last chapter of the book ,Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy Father speaks of the coming of the Lord as it  is expressed in the words"Maran Atha." He reminds us of the need to be vigilant as well as trusting. He points out that the knowledge of the protection of the Lord makes us joyful.
"The Lord is "on the mountain" of the  of the Father.  Therefore,He sees us.Therefore He can get into the boat of our life at any moment.Therefore we can always call on him; we can always be certain that he sees and hears us.
Keeping one's gaze freely fixed upon God in order to receive from him the criterion of right action and the capacity for it--that is what matters.
Vigilance means first of all openess to the good, to the truth , to God, in the midst of an often meaningless word and in the midst of the power of evil.It means that man tries with all his strength and with great sobriety to do what is right; it means that he lives, not according to his wishes, but according to te signpost of faith.
St.Bernard of Calirvaux speaks of a three fold advent of Christ, the first coming in flesh , the second in spirit and power and the last in his glory.Bernad bases his thesis on John 14: 23" If a man loves me , he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
"The  middle coming(adventus medius) takes place in a great variety of ways.The Lord comes through his word; he comes in the sacraments, especially in the most Holy Eucharist;he comes into my life through words or events.
He comes also through the lives of great saintly figures--through Francis and Dominicin the 12th and 13th  centuries and through Teresa of Avila,John of the Cross,Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier.
We have  to pray , Come, Lord Jesus.
His hands  remain strethched out over the world.The blessing hands   of Christ are like a roof that protects us.They are a gesture of opening up, tearing the world open so that heaven may enter in, may become 'present within it.
"In faith we know that Jesus holds his hands stretched out in blessing over us.That is the lasting motive of Christian joy."(Last words of the Book.)