April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Advent is here!
Advent reflects this sense of a twofold coming of Jesus. For the first few weeks of Advent, we are invited to focus on the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time and what this means for us here and now. Only as we get close to Christmas do we really turn our attention to His first coming at Christmas, especially as we enter the last week of Advent, from Dec. 17 onward.
Many spiritual writers such as St. Bernard also reflect that, in between the Lord's first coming at Christmas and last coming at the end of time, there is something of a "third coming." Jesus, in fact, comes to us in many ways: in prayer, in people and events, in the Sacred Scriptures and, of course, in the Eucharist.
Advent, then, is a time when we focus both on Jesus' coming to us in all these many ways, and on His presence among us at every time and in every moment of our lives.
Advent is also a journey and, like any good journey, we not only have a destination in mind - the coming of Jesus - but also we use a map (or even a GPS!) to get there. Advent follows a route, a structure for each Sunday to help us to journey well. Each Sunday is like a milepost or a road sign on that journey that points us in the right direction as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
The theme for the first Sunday of Advent is to watch and wait for the Lord. For many of us, it is a timely reminder that, as Christians, we need to be like Mary as well as Martha in the Gospels (cf. Luke 10: 38-42).
Martha was so busy with things that she did not have time to listen to Jesus, whereas Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened to Him. Often, we too need to slow down and listen to the Lord, to sit at His feet for a while - even if it is just for five minutes a day!
We may feel that we are too busy to pray, especially at this frantic time of the year with all those preparations and activities. It is worth remembering what Blessed Teresa of Kolkata often said: "If I am really busy, then I need to pray twice as hard and long!"
There is also a danger that we feel watching and waiting is somehow wasting time and energy. It goes against the grain. We get frustrated when a traffic light turns red. (Is a yellow light really an invitation to put one's foot down hard on the accelerator?) We get impatient waiting in line at a store: We have a long list of errands to run and, after all, time is money. Then there are all those instant makeover programs on the TV: Results are needed right now or even yesterday.
Watching and waiting may not be among our strong points. Yet, watching and waiting on the Lord will not be time wasted. Furthermore, some things just cannot and should not be hurried; time is essential for a true maturing and revealing to take place.
Watching and waiting is necessary for our spiritual growth. As St. John Chrysostom observed many centuries ago: "We are not simply to believe but to watch; not simply to love but to watch; not simply to obey but to watch....True Christians, whoever they are, watch...and inconsistent Christians do not."
This time of year is so very busy at school, at home and at work and all those shopping days to Christmas are disappearing rapidly! The Church wisely gives us this special season of Advent to help us, in all this busy-ness, to prepare for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us use this time well, preparing well so that, as the Lord comes to us, we may have hearts and minds open and ready to welcome Him. Let us echo the final words of the last book in the New Testament: "Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus!"
(Father Barratt is pastor of St. Ambrose parish in Latham. He holds a doctorate in theology and was a professor at St. John's Seminary in England before coming to the U.S. in 2004.)[[In-content Ad]]
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