The gift of Jesus to us on the day of His Birth is the opportunity to enter and live in heaven for eternity! What a priceless gift from God! We all die. But Jesus died on the cross and resurrected on the third day to prove to us that He is God, that He has power over death, and that through Him, we can all go to heaven! He purchased our freedom from death by shedding His blood. It is His blood that cleanses us of our sins, that enables us to be with God when we die here on earth. No amount of talent, or good works, or material wealth on our part buys our ticket into paradise and eternal life. You can be the richest man in the world and you can give all your money to the poor. That does not give you entry into heaven. It is Jesus, His death and resurrection that redeems us. You can spend your entire life helping the poor in India, like Mother Theresa, but if you do not believe in Jesus, you cannot go to heaven. Sorry it doesn’t work that way. You can meditate your whole life in Tibet; it will not buy you a ticket to heaven.

Advent from the Latin word “Adventus” means “Coming to.” Christians celebrate the season encompassing the 4 Sundays and weekdays, leading to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas day. It is a time of preparation of our hearts and minds to the birth of our Lord and Savior. The final days of advent are December 17 to December 24, and we focus on our preparations for the celebration of the nativity of our Lord. Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!