Saturday, November 30, 2019

Run forth to meet Christ

1st Sunday of Advent Year A 2019:
Advent is upon us.  This weekend we light the Advent wreathe and we enter into the season of patient waiting for Christ.  We await the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas.  But, even more, we use this as a time of waiting for Christ when he comes again.  And he will come for each of us.  At the end of time or the end of our lives, whichever comes first, we will experience the Advent of Jesus Christ.  So, this season of Advent is our yearly reminder to prepare for the coming of Christ.
Notice that the first 2 weeks of Advent focus on the coming of Christ on the last day.  In today’s second reading and gospel, we are told to be awake, ready, prepared for Christ’s coming.  The final two Sundays of Advent will focus more on the birth of Christ and the feast of Christmas.  
Jesus gives us this interesting image: awake.  We should be awake and alert for the coming of Christ. Now, this doesn’t mean that we are supposed to stay up all night every night.  We would go crazy.  Rather, our spiritual life should reflective and aware, open to God’s presence in the world and in our lives.  What is the difference between being awake and being asleep?  When we are asleep, we are vulnerable, we are no longer aware, no longer in control.  Even in our dreams, we are unable to control things or participate in a meaningful way.   One of the recurring dreams that I have is one where it’s time for Mass and I can’t find the page in the book.  This is a crazy and stressful dream because I’m unable to control things and I have the feeling of being unprepared.
Well I thought of this dream when Jesus told us to be awake and alert.  When we are awake, we are aware of what’s going on around us, we can act, we can prepare, we can participate in the life we live.  I think this is why Jesus gave us this image in the gospel.  Being “awake” in the faith means being aware of God’s presence.  It means preparing ourselves to meet God.  It means that we become active participants in the work of salvation.  
I really like how the opening prayer for today’s mass puts it: grant you faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming.  This is what it means to be awake and alert.  It means that we are not simply waiting around for Christ to come back.  It means that we are running forth to meet him.  How?  By our righteous deeds.  
Let me recommend 2 righteous deeds.  Do something charitable this Advent.  Maybe it’s the parish giving tree.  Maybe it’s a donation to our St. Vincent De Paul society.  Maybe it’s another charity that you want to support.  We can run forth to meet Christ by giving in charity.  Second, learn something new this Advent.  Don’t be stale in your faith.  Learn something new.  Go to the bookstore and find a good Catholic book.  Maybe it’s on one of the saints, or one of the sacraments.  If you would rather do something online, go to formed.org. Set up an account and commit to working through one of the video series’ online.  Our first reading says: from Zion shall go forth instruction and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  Take some time this Advent to learn from the Lord.  This too, is a great way to run toward Christ, whom we await during this prayerful season of Advent.
Advent is a time of waiting.  But, not a time of sleeping.  Awake, let us run forth to meet Christ our Lord.

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