between its message of peace and the realities of everyday life that we read in the newspapers must inevitably and forcefully remind us of the problematic character of our world. It should also confront us with the realization that we must do something about it. It is to help bring us to this realization that the church celebrates Advent—a season of expectation and preparation. Advent’s deeper meaning is largely lost today, as the church’s seasons become increasingly marginal to the secular contexts