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     A wise spiritual directee once said to me, "Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow!"  Yet Advent calls our attention to a "tomorrow" which seems endless.  Our American culture tends to be "tomorrow-oriented."  We are always doing research on something that will promise a better "tomorrow."  In a sense, we are like the Rich Fool in the parable in the Gospel According to Luke who tries to guarantee his "tomorrow" by building bigger barns for his over-abundant harvest instead of sharing that harvest "today."  Right now, in the midst of a terrible pandemic, we are longing for the vaccine that represents a new tomorrow and  will enable us to stop wearing masks and social distancing in the present!

     Some of us at some point in this season will have the opportunity to read Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL in which the miser Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Marley.  That ghost takes him to Christmas past, present and future.  The experience transforms Scrooge from a selfish, greedy miser to a loving and generous man who creates a new "tomorrow" for himself and Tiny Tim!  The hopeful enthusiasm of ANNIE, the musical, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you tomorrow.  You're only a day away!" rises to the surface.

     Today, our Catholic tradition begins a new liturgical year with the season of hope, the "season of tomorrow."  Yet, it can be deeper than "tomorrow."  Christ was born more than 2000 years ago.  That was, is, and will be always the reason for a "tomorrow."  In our own lives of faith, perhaps we can spend a bit of time thinking of Christmas past, Christmas present (with pandemic that makes past Christmas all the more meaningful) and Christmas future.  The Lord has come, is with us now and will "come again."  The tomorrows of the past, present and future can be part of our Advent prayer: "Come, Lord Jesus!"  AMEN