Nov. 28, 2010: 1st Sunday Advent (A)
Click to hear audio homily
Forty hours is a long time to be sitting and waiting. Many of us men are certainly capable of this on a deer stand out in the woods, or like JD Dean of Myrtle Beach, in front of the Best Buy store from Wednesday (11/24) until the store opened on Friday. We know that at least one dedicated shopper wasn’t waiting until Black Friday to stake out his place in line. Mr. Dean said for the past three years, he has been the first in line for Black Friday shopping. Asked what the rest of the family would be doing on Thanksgiving Day, Mr. Dean said that, “My family will bring me a nice big tray of food, turkey, mashed potatoes, everything.”
Mr. Dean may not realize that he is being used today in my homily as an example for the First Week of Advent. He said that he did not even know what would be on sale. In other words, he did not even know what he wanted. But what kept him awake in his tent outside Best Buy was the promise of a great deal. Our First Reading also points to something similar to the Black Friday shopping frenzy where hundreds and hundreds of people stream toward Best Buy, Wal-mart, and Target at 3 in the morning. Prophet Isaiah says, “All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come…” (Is 2:1-5). Is there something here nearby worth waiting in line for 40 hours, for people all over Denham Springs, Walker, Watson, and Livingston to stream toward?
There is. In order to describe it, let’s look for clues in the First Reading. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah reads, “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah gives us an image of a mountain, which is difficult for us living in South Louisiana to imagine. If we look at the Book of Exodus, we see a man climbing the mountain of the Lord. It was Moses. And there he stayed, not 40 hours like Mr. Dean outside the Best Buy, but 40 days and 40 nights. Was it worth it for Moses to stay there for 40 long days? Did he get a great bargain, the sale of the century, something that he could show to his wife why it was necessary for him to take a leave of absence from work for more than a month? Can you imagine Moses meeting his wife for the first time in 40 days, and she would ask, “Honey, what happened?” And Moses would answer, “I saw God, and I actually talked with Him.” And his wife would see how his face and hair were transformed; she would only guess as to what transformation took place in his heart.
Now, can you imagine if I walked up to Mr. Dean who is busily camping out in front of Best Buy and asked him, “Mr. Dean, do you know that there is something more worthwhile to do than waiting for Black Friday deals at Best Buy?” “What,” he would ask. I would answer, “Seeing God, talking to Him, being transformed by Him, and receiving His very Heart.” How would he reply? Would he say, “No thank you. I’ll take the $200 laptop deal over that?” How would you reply, especially if I asked you on your way back from a busy and stressful day at work or running errands? Would you drop by the church or the adoration chapel and talk to Him? Do we even realize how we are changed each time we spend a few minutes in prayer with the Lord? Are we aware that our days are less stressful when we begin them with prayer? Likes Moses, when we pray, we are preparing and waiting for our hearts to be transformed. This is why the Church gives us the Season of Advent--to change our appetite from things of the this world to desring God Himself. Our Lord reminds us, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” Even St. Paul reminds us:
"Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."
There is. In order to describe it, let’s look for clues in the First Reading. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah reads, “Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah gives us an image of a mountain, which is difficult for us living in South Louisiana to imagine. If we look at the Book of Exodus, we see a man climbing the mountain of the Lord. It was Moses. And there he stayed, not 40 hours like Mr. Dean outside the Best Buy, but 40 days and 40 nights. Was it worth it for Moses to stay there for 40 long days? Did he get a great bargain, the sale of the century, something that he could show to his wife why it was necessary for him to take a leave of absence from work for more than a month? Can you imagine Moses meeting his wife for the first time in 40 days, and she would ask, “Honey, what happened?” And Moses would answer, “I saw God, and I actually talked with Him.” And his wife would see how his face and hair were transformed; she would only guess as to what transformation took place in his heart.
Now, can you imagine if I walked up to Mr. Dean who is busily camping out in front of Best Buy and asked him, “Mr. Dean, do you know that there is something more worthwhile to do than waiting for Black Friday deals at Best Buy?” “What,” he would ask. I would answer, “Seeing God, talking to Him, being transformed by Him, and receiving His very Heart.” How would he reply? Would he say, “No thank you. I’ll take the $200 laptop deal over that?” How would you reply, especially if I asked you on your way back from a busy and stressful day at work or running errands? Would you drop by the church or the adoration chapel and talk to Him? Do we even realize how we are changed each time we spend a few minutes in prayer with the Lord? Are we aware that our days are less stressful when we begin them with prayer? Likes Moses, when we pray, we are preparing and waiting for our hearts to be transformed. This is why the Church gives us the Season of Advent--to change our appetite from things of the this world to desring God Himself. Our Lord reminds us, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” Even St. Paul reminds us:
"Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."
