Let’s not make the same mistake

Advent is a good time to ask: Am I on the right track or am I making the same mistakes again?

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger

Remember the first Christmas? Of course you don’t; neither do I. I am not talking about your or my first Christmas. We probably don’t remember that either, though I do have a black and white photo of myself sitting near a Christmas tree with some stuffed animal, in one of those pajama suits which covered your feet. No doubt it is such memories of innocence that draw our hearts back to our earliest Christmases which, God-willing, continue to evoke peaceful and happy times.

Not always. If there were anything joyful to remember in the life of the one whose birth Christmas commemorates, it would certainly not have been his surroundings. We will be hearing those narratives again as we approach Christmas Day. Though the liturgies of Advent are chock-full of hope and promise, they also contain powerful messages to warn us against habit and complacency, especially those which might be leading us into a false sense of security or even on the wrong paths that will disappoint and may even destroy us. If nothing else, this is a good time to ask, am I on the right track or am I making the same mistakes again?

Maybe you already purchased your Christmas tree. I’ve been seeing a lot of plump, fresh pines battened down on car roofs, hoping to myself they make it at least to Christmas Eve. They will need a lot of watering, though some are good at this. The artifacts of Christmas are important for sure and play a big part in refreshing our minds, inviting us to clean up our thoughts as much as our households. That’s a good thing. Happy tunes, bright colors and fresh starts. 

Such thoughts are not at all inconsistent with the themes of Advent which, unlike Lent, is not primarily a penitential season, although all periods leading up to festive celebrations involve a certain amount of cleansing. No one enjoys a good meal on a full stomach. We have heard wonderful stories of people who have almost nothing, finding more joy in celebration than those with abundance, such as O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi.” 

Sometimes this season, however, can get too noisy, even chaotic. Unpredictable weather patterns and transportation uncertainty can make travel dicey and, sadly, accidents do happen. Maybe it is always that way but the interruptions during “the holidays” are always more stressful because somehow many of us are under an assumption of the way the season is “supposed to be.” How exactly ought Christmas to be?

Back to the first question about remembering the first Christmas. If we read the infancy narratives with any degree of attention — the whole story and not just the ones with the fleecy sheep and the harmonious angel choirs — it was anything but warm and fuzzy. Unless one associates being shut out of the house and sent to the equivalent of an outhouse, with the odors of animals around as welcoming, it was more like camping out on a dump. Pretty dangerous, too. Little security around for the Christ child when his dad had to leave town quickly — literally, the country — to escape the pillages of mad King Herod who had hitmen out to target him.

Taking a moment to reflect on the hardships not only of the Holy Family but many others, including no doubt some of our own neighbors, who may not be so merry this time of year, is not a cause for gloom or depression. Instead it can be a reason to give thanks for our blessings and to muster up a more patient and generous spirit, especially given the pressures and stresses that some may be experiencing. 

In “church life” one of the most frequent quotes I have heard is “we’ve always done it that way.” No doubt you have run into that, too, whenever you may have come up with an idea to make things better that did not always receive a warm welcome. Well, the whole Christmas story is about a creative and loving God who came up with an idea to make things better for the whole human race than what we’ve been through since the Garden of Eden. Let’s not make the same mistake of missing his presence this time around.

We know how often Jesus reminded us to see himself in those whom the world hardly notices. “And the kind will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did it for me’ ” (Mt. 25:40). Is there a more poignant way of expressing the true meaning of Christmas than to bring hearts into a place where love so needs to enter? Isn’t that the message that the child in the manger brings to the world: “I am in the place you would least suspect to find the one who loves you the most.”

This encounter may not be as gross or difficult as it may seem. While there are some wonderful people who may choose to spend a few hours with the physically homeless or to help distribute, even have a conversation, with someone who has to take a place in an outdoor line to access a meal, the Christ we come to meet may be the one waiting for us at the end of another line. 

You and I may be among the more fortunate to have a good idea of where we will be spending the celebrations around Christmas. Some of us may even be “ahead of the game” with lists, plans and preparations. These are not small or unimportant skills, especially when so many others depend on us. Neither should we neglect ourselves and our own need to meet the One who yearns to celebrate with us: Jesus himself. The reason any of this is happening is because Jesus Christ came to meet you and me, personally.

The gift of the Eucharist — the Mass — is par excellence the way he wants us to receive his presence. A soul healed and prepared for this through the Sacrament of Penance is the richest, yet least costly gift we can bring him as we prepare for “Christ Mass.” Like him — that child in the animal feeder — it’s so simple. Let’s do it the right way this time!