| “What are we waiting for?” eight-year-old Owen shouted over the voices of his third-grade classmates singing “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Sister Nancy waved her hand in the air to pause the singing. A nervous hush fell over the room as she glared at Owen. “Jesus has already come,” Owen said with conviction. “So why are we asking God to send his son when he’s already here?” Sister Nancy closed her eyes, placed her finger to her lips, and pondered Owen’s question. After a few moments of silence, she responded, “You’re right, Owen. Jesus has already come. He walked the earth and taught us how to love. How about we look up the word ‘advent’ in the dictionary to discover its true meaning?” Owen pulled the classroom dictionary off the shelf and read aloud, “Advent means the arrival of a notable person, event, or thing.” Sister Nancy’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she seized the teaching moment. “Exactly! Advent is about arrival, not waiting. Maybe this Advent season is an opportunity for us to look for God’s presence already in the world, rather than anticipating some future event.” She paused, then glanced around at the expectant children. “Where do you notice the presence of God in your life?” | 
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