Shortly after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension, the early Christians were asking when would the kingdom of God come in its fullness and the risen Lord return in glory to judge the living and the dead. And the answer Jesus gave his first followers left them wondering and scratching their heads: “you do not know when the time will come.” So, if Advent calls us to prepare for the Lord’s second coming at some unknown time in the future -- the great unknown “when” of our lives -- why all the fuss? Isaiah reminds us of our human weakness and mortality, and that our time on earth is ever so brief. Friends, our days are numbered; we are not built to last forever in our earthly form – but we are wired for eternity thanks to the marvelous design of God. That’s why we need to acknowledge how much we need God’s grace, how tightly we need to cling to our hope in God’s loving care, and how much attention we must give to our relationship with God because we are the work of his hands. St. Paul says that we are not lacking in any spiritual gift as we await the Lord’s coming in glory. In giving us Christ, God has bestowed on us everything, including the promise of eternal life. Finally, Jesus urges us to be watchful and to be alert as we await the return of the Lord of the house.