With Y2K last year, and the real millennium now, there has been some talk about the anti-Christ and the End Times.  Last year especially there were a lot of horror movies dealing with the subject.  Everyone imagines the anti-Christ as a beast, a huge horrible monster, a powerful demon, ready to incite a battle-- a war against Christianity.  But the truth may be closer to what we hear in the first reading today.  The anti-Christ is already here and is all around us.  Everyone who denies Christ is the anti-Christ.  Everyday the battle is fought to support Christian values in a secular society.  And if all the nay-sayers are anti-Christ, our job as Christians is to fight that battle:  support the cause and live Christian values.  

From the psalm we are reminded of all the good God has done for us.  He has given us wonderful things and victory against evil forces.  He gives us grace and the wherewithal to fight this battle, and we fight it with praise of God above all else.  We gain our strength from God and use it in the on-going battle for the faith.  By singing God’s praises and living His word we can turn aside the anti-Christ.  Knowing the goodness of God and sharing it is the strongest weapon.

It’s the new year when you’re reading this, but it’s still advent as I’m writing it.  I’m still in the season of preparation, but John the Baptist’s preparing the way of the Lord is as appropriate for the new year as it is for advent.  Now the Lord is here, and our new year’s resolution should be to keep him in our hearts, to live his words and to sing his praises.  By preparing for Christ, by living Christ, we defeat the anti-Christ at every turn.  Everyone who is against God is anti-Christ, but all who are for God, who live by His word and keep Christ in their hearts will be victorious.  If God is for us, who can be against?