From the Catholic Liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, 2016. Advent is often overlooked in our culture due to the rush to Christmas. Even many Catholic Christians do not understand the full depth of rich meaning to this Season, seeing it primarily as a preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord. Advent is a time to honor the First Coming of Christ in Bethlehem, to welcome Him as he comes into our lives today, and to prepare for His Second Coming which can be at any time. All three are part of the Advent Season and spirit. The classic holiday story by Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol" can help us understand the triple meaning if we take the story's central plot and apply it to Advent. In this homily we do exactly this and ponder Advent-Past, Advent-Present, and Advent-to-Come.