Advent --- Prepare for a Friend

 

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.  I think it snuck up on me, being so close to Thanksgiving.  At the EWTN mass this morning I saw the priest’s purple robes, a sign of preparation and of mourning:  Jesus is not here yet, but He is coming.  At a point in the mass I reached for my prayer book to say the Gloria Prayer, but that is not said during Advent.  We pray that prayer and give glory and praise to God when He is here, not in anticipation.  Advent is a time of preparation, anticipation.

After mass, I plugged my Christmas tree lights into the timer; they will be on tonight, visible to my neighbors, and me, reminders of His coming.  I put the Christmas wreath on my table, along with its 4 candles.  Tonight, I will light the first as I say my night prayers, reminding me to be prepared.  I found a glass Christmas tree in the cabinet, full of small red and green mint candies, shaped like hearts; it smelled very nice.  Christmas is a wonderful day.

The priest at mass, speaking about preparation, said we sometimes say “The grass is greener over there --- but that often means you need to water your own lawn.”  We seldom think that way, that we have to change.  The recent Scripture readings all spoke of always being ready, being prepared, for He comes at a time we do not know.  The Jews thought they were prepared for the Messiah’s coming; but Scripture tells how unprepared they were.  Christmas was His first coming and we celebrate it, but we need to be prepared NOW for when He comes again, whenever that might be.  Whether He comes to us, or we die and go to Him, we need to be prepared to meet Him.

In families, we often act in selfish ways because --- “we want to have our own space”.  In our world right now, we are forced to keep our own space, to keep our distance.  Are we happy now?  The same “having our own way” yearning infects our relations with our friends or co-workers, or strangers.  We act in ways to keep us apart, but humble prayer is absolutely necessary for true conversion; it is the start and end of growing closer to God.  Advent is a time beginning that humble prayer, to grow closer to Him; He is coming.

A fire does not burn long if it is a single stick of wood, but a large, close bundle burns brightly and long.  It ensures the fire does not go out in any single stick of wood, but burns to the end.  We are here for each other, family, Church, country.  We need to grow close together.  We need to let Him light the fire.

Love one another.  This is the focus of Advent.  Prepare to start a fire in new hearts, for a spark will soon come with His birth.  Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord, His Love.  The Christmas tree is a reminder of when He came, but also a reminder that He will come again.  We need to grow in prayer and love, as He taught us, to prepare.  Advent is a time of preparation.

“Let us remember that love grows through sacrifice.  Without sacrifice there is no love.” --- St. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life for another at the Nazi concentration camp.  I pray to him each morning.

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When I found the Advent wreath in a cabinet, I also found a small plaque, given to me by a woman in 1998 who I no longer remember.  But the words are worth remembering:

Dear Friend

How are you?  I had to send you this letter to tell you how much I love and care for you.  I saw you yesterday; you were walking with your friends.  I waited all day hoping you would talk to me.  As evening drew near, I gave you a sunset to close your day; a cool breeze to rest you, and I waited.  You never came.  Oh, yes, it hurt me, but still I love you because I am your friend.  I saw you fall asleep last night, and I longed to touch your brow, so I spilled moonlight upon your pillow and face.  Again, I waited, wanting to rush down so we could talk.  You awakened late and rushed off for the day.  My tears were in the rain.  Today you looked so sad, so alone.  It makes my heart ache because I understand.  My friends let me down many times, but I love YOU.  I try to tell you in the quiet grass.  I whisper it in the leaves and trees.  I clothe you with warm sunshine, with love.  Just call me --- talk to me --- it is your decision.  I have chosen you and because of this, I will wait ------------- because I love YOU!

Your friend,

                                        JESUS CHRIST

We Are Family

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Mary, the Mother of God.  As a child Mary’s parents followed the Jewish law and presented her to God in the Temple.  Her parents, Elizabeth and Joachim raised Mary in a family with God as its heavenly Father.  And Mary, and the world, were greatly blessed for this family.

The December edition of First Things Magazine has an article titled: The Fury of the Fatherless (you can read it here:  https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/12/the-fury-of-the-fatherless).  It gives facts about the many children raised fatherless in our country, especially in large cities, and how they search for that missing father figure in their lives --- in gangs or other groups.  Often, they totally reject any father figure --- God, government, or others’ fathers; although United States citizens, they would never fight for this country.  The article cited Portland’s supportive treatment of teen runaways for over 30 years.  Often called teen hobos, they are leaders in the Portland riots, tearing down everything, including statues of our country’s father figures, not to build something better but only out of hate and frustration.  The article also notes that almost all historical socialist leaders and atheists lacked a safe father figure in their youth.  So, they abhor the concept of family or marriage.

Late last night I watched an old episode of Law and Order, SVU.  The episode opens with a masked man knocking on a door.  When opened, he shoots the mother and father and teen-aged daughter there --- or so it seemed.  It turns out the young girl was hit by a bullet which went through her father; she was not a target.  The girl survives.  We find out that her mother was involved in a gay relationship and planning to leave her father to get married to the woman who was advocating gay marriage.  The young girl’s father was a drinker and gambler, and had the girl place his bets, and be sexually abused.  And in the end, we find out it was the teen age girl who convinced a preacher to kill her parents.  It was an old SVU episode with huge echoes of today.  I think if they re-id the episode today, however, they would emphasize that the mother was a good person and the gay relationship was wonderful in light of the evil father --- and of course, only the father would be killed.

And also, yesterday I heard news of a local parish priest be dismissed from his large parish.  The bishop emphasized there were no sexual issues, but it was unclear beyond that.  I already hear of sides being formed, and the priest hiring a canon lawyer and issuing a press release.  And another beloved father figure is cast aside, and more hate fomented.

The traditional family is broken.  The Church family is broken.  The country family is broken. But, the Church is an image of The Trinity, an unbreakable family.  The country is/was one nation under God, (although many now remove the “under God” from the pledge of allegiance, in the rare instances it is recited).  All these things are beyond my control, even as the Covid is, but I WILL to love my family, friends and country even if they are not perfect.  I resolve to act as a father figure, with love, to all I meet.  It’s example Jesus gave to me and all people, His Family.  He showed us how to love, as a family does. Family is a good thing; we were made to be in a family.

I will pray.  I will trust.  “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”  (The Surrender Novena)

And I will love all people as His family, and as mine.