In what we so often think of as a terribly jaded age, there is a deep hunger for something beyond: a hunger to be reminded that this life is only the beginning, that all of the pain and suffering will one day be washed away; a hunger for support in this life so that we can go through this pilgrimage achieving some kind of serenity and peace; a hunger for a spiritual life that is best reflected in prayer, prayer of every type, the prayer of the Rosary, the prayer of singing the Psalms, and so on. This is what Advent is about: the spirit of prayer. . . It is appropriate therefore that we try during Advent – with all the hustle and bustle, with all of the pseudo-Christmas carols being blasted out on the streets, all of the activities attendant to preparation for Christmas – to enter into a season of recollection, a season of reminder, a season in which we reflect on what today’s gospel reflects on: the second coming of Christ.

– Cardinal John O’Connor