Dec. 15, 2013: 3rd Sunday of Advent (A)
So what’s wrong with wanting something now rather than later? I used to drive miles to order an item that was not in stock and have to wait a week for it to arrive at the store. Now, I just click a button on Amazon, and it arrives at my door a couple of days later. The question is, can growth of relationship between persons be expedited or over-nited? Can love between persons be rushed and fast forwarded like Christmas music in October?
In our Second reading today, what St. James wrote slaps in the face of modern marketing strategies. He wrote, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it...You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Why should we be patient? Patience helps one to encounter frustrations, disappointments, contradictions, privations, sickness, hardships (all of which cause pain) without losing his serenity, without becoming irritated or despondent. It helps one not to be upset by trivial incidents however unpleasant in our daily lives and thus not lose peace of soul. Patience is a virtue that everyone is called upon to exercise frequently.
On the other hand, impatience is the lack of self-control, and leads to other faults. Impatience can easily grow into anger, irritability, harsh words, unpleasantness towards others, etc. Many a serious quarrel starts with impatience over little annoyances or inconveniences. What does impatience look like? The First Reading provides several images of impatience--dry and parched desert, weakened knees, feeble hands, frightened hearts. In Today’s Gospel, John the Baptist displays impatience.
Earlier on at the Jordan River, John heard the voice from heaven attesting to Jesus. Yet after being locked up in a dark dungeon with the threat of death hanging over him, John’s faith was severely tested. He was growing impatient. Was Jesus the Messiah? He needed reassurance and comforting.
Something similar can happen to us. We might be going along happily in our little world, but then a storm hits us: unemployment, a serious illness, everyday life events not going the way we expected. These unexpected occurrences shatter our faith and our trust in God. We feel let down by God. We doubt his love for us and perhaps even his existence.
Our relationship with God is a love story which involves patience and trust. To grow in love for God means to become patient and learn how to wait. To practice patience requires that everything we experience, we do so in the light of faith. Our faith tells us that everything in this life is permitted by God, and for our own good. Whether life’s trials and suffering come from human causes or natural causes, it is foreseen by God and allowed for our spiritual purification and growth. St. James reminds us, “Consider it a great joy when trials of many kinds come upon you, for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and perseverance must complete its work so that you will become fully developed, complete, not deficient in any way.” (James 1:2)
We will imitate Blessed Mother if we become aware of the opportunity that each little trial presents (some little delay, setback, humiliation, disappointment). Like her, if we try to patiently ponder what God’s infinite wisdom and love has provided, it would contribute much to our spiritual growth, and we would experience peace.
