First Sunday in Advent, Dec. 2, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
As we begin this Advent Season many of us may be struggling to get into the proper disposition. It is difficult to slow down and focus on Advent, when the whole world has begun to celebrate Christmas.
He was “cut to the heart” in discovering Christian captivesSt. Peter Nolasco was shocked and moved in finding Christians held captive and in danger of losing their faith. Read more about his heroic life and what he did about it on the website of the . (Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M. is the vocations director of the Order of Mercy.)
Visit the Mercedarians’
With Christmas trees and lights going up all around, not to mention music and ads all over TV, we can’t help but get caught up in searching for that perfect gift. As we stroll through the mall or surf the internet, it could be said that that we are focused, alert, and watchful for the ideal present. In today’s tough economic times naturally we want to try to please our loved one, while getting the best deal possible.
A sense of vigilance
This causes us to be even more resolute as we search in ads or online for the right price. Getting the best deal sometimes means going out of our way or waiting in line. This is especially the case with tech gifts. As we have seen from the past, some people will wait hours in line to get the iPad or iPhone or maybe even Play Station 4. Certainly, these material things, especially the advances in technology, are good in themselves so long as they do not cloud our vision as to what really matters.
As the world is searching for the perfect gift, the Church is entering the holy season of expectation or Advent. The first part of the season is focused on the Second Coming of Christ. We hear in today’s Gospel that Christians awaiting the end of time are called to live their lives with the sense of vigilance. But what does this mean? Webster’s dictionary defines vigilance as an “alert watchfulness.” In some way, this can be likened to the vigilance that we may have in our search for the perfect gift. We must have an alert watchfulness in regards to the signs of the times and our need for conversion. The season of Advent is preparing us for the celebration of the first coming of Christ, but it is also meant to help us “wake up” to the reality that Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Our ultimate purpose
To aide in our preparation we are told in St Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to “conduct ourselves in a way that is pleasing to God.” God expects that our lives will be centered on the things that are eternal. All our material possessions are meant to be used toward the ultimate end of salvation. The earth as we know it is passing away. Someday the human race will all see the frightful sights of today’s Gospel. Maybe we personally will experience the Second Coming or maybe our offspring will. We just do not know the time or the hour. Jesus himself says, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Mt. 24:36).”
At His first coming, Israel awaited the Messiah with vigilance. The prophets told them to be “alert and watchful” so they would be ready for when the Messiah comes. Many faithful Jews missed out on the first coming, because they were not ready for the lowly and humble way Christ came. We too are told, “beware that your hearts do not become drowsy….” Life can kind of put us into a lethargic state if we are not careful. Day after day we just do the same tasks, focusing only on the material world; our current troubles and anxieties.
Confession – path to conversion
Advent is a great opportunity to “wake up” to the things that really matter such as living the 10 Commandments. We all want to live in a way that makes a difference for future generations. To be known as people who put God first in our lives and love others with a supernatural love.
Servant of God Pope Pius XII gives us a path to true conversion when he says, “To ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, we will that the pious practice of frequent confession…should be earnestly advocated.” He cited the benefits: “genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, and the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the sacrament itself.”
Growth in self-knowledge
So much good comes from the Sacrament of Confession. This Sacrament is not just for those who have sinned seriously, but for all who desire to be “alert and watchful” in their lives. To be prepared for Christ’s Second Coming, we must work on our venial sins such as: losing our patience, unforgiveness, pride, etc. Confession increases sanctifying grace in our lives. When we go to frequent confession we are aided in self-knowledge, humility, and overall growth in virtue. Many pay little attention to their lesser sins and thus do not grow in virtue during their lives. Let us take Blessed John Paul II as our example when he says, “I have kept faithful to my weekly practice of confession…” This holy man went to confession every few days and confessed even the smallest fault. He grew more and more in the knowledge of his own sinfulness. Blessed John Paul II grew to understand that every sin is a wound to God, who is perfect love. He became more sensitive to the ways that his actions offended the God of Love.
So as we wait in long lines to get the perfect gifts, which are here today and gone tomorrow, let us remember the eternal things. If we do, we will realize that it is more important to get into another line, the confessional line. Here we wait to receive sanctifying grace, the very life of God, and true forgiveness. Here we receive the peace of mind that only comes from realizing that we are “alert and watchful,” waiting for the coming of our Savior. Whenever he comes we can confidently stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand!