First Sunday of Advent Reflection 2013

The Church calendar once again has come full circle.  We are at the beginning of the season of Advent.  The somber liturgical colors, the Gloria no longer recited at Sunday Mass, the focus on penitential practices, these all stand in stark contrast to the "Christmas" season now being promoted in the stores, and on the media.  We are bombarded by Xmas songs and sounds; colors and large ornaments; in the marketplace.  All aimed to encourage us to buy, buy, buy! 

For me, Advent is a time of preparation, and of anticipation.  Preparation, in that Advent gives us the opportunity to take another look at our personal lives, to take stock.  and in taking stock, discern what is impeding our relationship with God, and work at making changes.  Anticipation, in that as the people of Israel looked forward to the coming of the Messiah; we look forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, at the end of time.  However, it is not just anticipating the Second Coming, it is anticipating and encounter with Christ, here and now.  This season of Advent challenges us to be open to encountering Christ, not just in the Eucharist, in Scripture, or in prayer; but in every moment of every day. 

So I challenge all of us, to make this the best Advent ever; so that when Christmas morning dawns, it will be a fresh, and holy experience for all of us.

For a more deeper reflection of Advent, I encourage you look at at this posting by Father Dan Horan, OFM.

Living in Anticipation - My December Column for Fraternity Newsletter

"Secular Franciscans, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity. The faith of Saint Francis, who often said ‘I see nothing bodily of the Most High son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood,’ should be the inspiration and pattern of their eucharistic life." (Art.5, SFO Rule)

Advent should be a time of anticipation, of preparation, of remembrance. We remember the event of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son God coming into our world as a human child. We prepare ourselves in expectation of His coming again at the end of time. But Advent is also a time to prepare for and to anticipate an encounter with Christ here and now.

Saint Francis believed that through the people he met in the streets of Assisi, through the poor and downtrodden, he encountered Christ. In listening and meditating on the Scriptures, he encountered Christ. And especially in receiving the Eucharist, he encountered Christ. We see in his writings and in stories of his life, Francis lived as one who always anticipated that in the next moment he would meet Jesus Christ. We can feel, through his words, the excited anticipation he felt.

With all that is happening with us during the mad rush to prepare for Christmas, and with all the everyday pressures and troubles we experience, it can be hard to be fully open to the same sense of anticipation that Francis had. Yet, we should all strive to keep our hearts open in joyful expectation, because we can never know when we will encounter Jesus.