“When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, . . .” when the time was ripe, when all was in readiness, when the darkness was overwhelming, the light of the World came among us as one of us, shining in our midst, to clothe us “with the garments of salvation,” to cover us “with the robe of righteousness,” to claim us as “children of God.” From scripture, from Christian tradition, from the gift of faith, we know it was 2000 years ago that the Word of God, Christ Jesus, became incarnate, but the good news is that the Divine isn’t finished with us yet.

In the fullness of time in each of our lives, God comes. When we are ready to open our hearts to receive the Divine Presence into our lives, God comes knocking, waiting for an open door, a welcome. When the ears of our hearts are ripe with expectation, God’s Word comes to call us, to inspire us into the way of Love, to nudge us into compassionate action. When life is in transition, when it is time to move on, the Holy One comes to open doors that lead to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for us and to close the doors that would be detours or dead-ends. When something is amiss in our lives, in our body, mind, or spirit, God’s healing grace pours over us, infusing us with wholeness and holiness. When we are discouraged or sorrowful, the Holy Spirit comforts and strengthens us, encouraging us to trust in God’s love. When the darkness around us seems so deep that we can see no light at the end of the tunnel, even there, Emmanuel is with us; the Paraclete walks beside us to sustain us, enabling us to endure. God is the one who knows when the time is ripe for each of us, when we need God’s presence to save us, to surround us with love, to anoint us with the balm of grace and peace.

We may not recognize “the fullness of time” when we are experiencing it, yet thanks be to God, over and over again, in the fullness of time, God comes!