First Sunday of Advent
Advent is a season of reflection and preparation. A time to take stock of one’s faith life and assess how one lives out their faith—not just in the crises of the day or in the touchstones of life, but rather in the ordinariness of everyday living: in our work, our play, our worship, our family and our interpersonal relationships—and even in our “public life.” Faith, which is based upon religion and not “spirituality,” cannot be separated from who we are—the totality of our being—otherwise it is inauthentic and will never flourish.
Advent is also a time to prepare (O Come, O Come Emmanuel!) for the ultimate and complete integration of our very person into the Divine. We do this not of our own accord but rather at the invitation of God, through His Son Jesus Christ and by His grace, so that we then may cooperate with the Divine and begin to prepare ourselves to share in His Eternal Life. Advent calls us to learn more deeply of His truths and to faithfully make those absolute truths a part of who we are and what we shall become. We hear in Psalm 119 (41-48), “Lord, let Your love come upon me, the saving help of Your promise. And I shall answer those who taunt me for I trust in Your word…I shall keep Your law forever and ever…I will speak of Your will before kings and not be abashed…”
In the weeks before Christmas it is so easy to be-come wrapped-up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, in the planning of parties and dinners, in decorating and tree-trimming, and in the stress of creating tat might be an unrealistic Christmas celebration—which are usually only captured on Christmas cards or in Norman Rock-well paintings. As we look and hope for the “ultimate” gift under the tree or in the stocking, we might lose sight of the “reason for the season:” God’s entrance into hu-manity, Divine Creator joining the ranks of the created, offering humanity the possibility of a unique and perfect transformation of each and every person into the image and likeness of God. We might fail to see in that little babe born more than 2,000 years ago the hope of every man, woman and child: our destiny, our life—one with God—truly the ultimate gift for every age.
As we enter our Church during Advent let us look and listen to the changes in our liturgical environment: see in the purple colors of the vestments, ribbons, and candles the reality of your royal dignity—an adopted daughter or son of God—lying just beneath the imperfect dried wreaths of life waiting to come alive by your willingness to act in His name. See in the acts of charity and corporal works of mercy, now captured on the wall of the sanctuary, how with His grace, you are now part of His Eternal and Perfect Sacrifice—see how in doing His Will you are continuing His mission and ministry of compassion and hope. Listen to the music of this season and hear His call of love reaching out to change your life and also—by calling you into His ongoing life—you now change the lives of others.
Recognize in the hot meals and sandwiches served at shelters, in the mission trips completed, in the boxes of food packaged up each month, in the pies baked and applesauce made for Thanksgiving, in the thousands hours of faith passed-on in Religious Ed, in the leaves raked, thus peace given, to our neighbors, in the Communion of Christ brought into hospital and nursing home rooms, in the shawls and prayers crafted to care for the grieving and the ill, in the Masses celebrated for the souls of those our departed loved ones, and in the Advent Giving Tree offerings that provide health care and hope to the forgotten and compassion to those suffering in these difficult economic times—see Christ’s ultimate sacrifice continued in and through your sacrifices of each and every day. See Christ made present in you.
May this Advent season be a time when each one of us deepens and strengthens our journey with God. May this come about by reflection on what He has done for us through Christ and continues today to do for us through His Church; and may it be a time of preparation in which our Eternal Lives, made present by the choices we make to serve Him in this world, manifest His King-dom. Peace and a blessed Advent to all.