Dec. 1, 2018 First Sunday Advent C

Dec. 1, 2018 First Sunday Advent C

Do you ever find yourself saying that if people would be a little more giving, patient, and understanding, a lot of unnecessary conflicts would be avoided? A few days ago, I was boarding an airplane to return back to New Orleans. During pre-boarding announcements, we were told that it was a full flight and they were certain that the overhead bins would be full before everyone could finish boarding. They asked for six volunteers to check-in their luggage. I went ahead and volunteered, knowing that the extra wait at baggage claim was not going to bother me. Apparently, I was the only one who volunteered. Once I was seated, there were five passengers still looking for available overhead bins. They were frustrated and angry at the passengers already seated, blaming them for their plight of not finding luggage space. Those who were seated were frustrated and angry at the five fellow passengers for delaying the departure of the plane by not checking in their luggage. The stalemate lasted for 10 minutes until several relented and finally checked-in their luggage. Who was at fault for the delay of the plane’s departure? Was it those who did not selflessly volunteered ahead of time to check-in their luggage or those who were already seated who had bags that could have been placed under the seat to allow extra free overhead bin space? Or was it the fault of everyone on the plane who packed too many unnecessary things in their own bags? The scene playing out in front of me made me wonder if, spiritually speaking, we are packing too many worldly goods, along with pettiness, grievances against others, unforgiveness, unproductive use of electronics and media that fills the bulk of our days, and the burdens we place on ourselves in order to “keep up with the Jones”, into our lives. Weighed down by so much baggage and unable to surrender them to God, do we realize we are hindering our journey to our final destination?  In those ten minutes, I could see how timely this event related to the season of Advent.

The season of Advent is a time of waiting and giving. In this season, we ponder about how God is giving himself to us so selflessly and generously that we may love Him above everything and imitate His self-giving love. St. Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” (1 THES 3:12—4:2)  Advent is a time of grace because God desires to change our selfish and stony hearts if only we open our hearts and allow Him. To open ourselves to receive this grace, we need to pray, fast, and sacrifice in order to counter the prevailing culture which encourages us to entertain ourselves, consume food and drink in excess, and accumulate material things. We Christians are to live simply, humbly, and charitably. When we preoccupy ourselves with pursuing earthly goods, desires of the flesh, and comfort, our love for God diminishes, and we lose the focus of our real purpose in life.

In order to wake us up from our spiritual drowsiness, Our Lord asks us to ponder about the immediate end of our earthly life as well as the apocalyptic day of his Second Coming. In today’s Gospel he said, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.” As his Second Coming approaches, the world will become increasingly strange, difficult, and dysfunctional. The climate change will be erratic, international affairs will be in chaos, natural disasters will strike, and old certainties will be challenged. God will intervene dramatically, with the coming of the Son of Man. God is ultimately in control, and we are called during these times to be vigilant, to watch, and pray, not to be distracted by pursuits of earthly pleasure, comfort, or worldly concerns. Our Lord tells us that we are to prepare ourselves by being alert and ready in response to God’s leading. Thus we will be ready to face the day of judgment and redemption.

Advent looks forward to God bringing about change in our lives and in our world. Are we going to welcome this change in our lives or will we resist? During this season, we need to ponder whether we are striving to travel light during our short earthly life. Will we be like those passengers stuck holding their earthly baggage, unable to check-in our anxieties and earthly securities? Or will we have the confidence in God to let go of our selfish desires by opening ourselves to God in prayer, fasting from our insatiable appetite to accumulate, and giving generously to the poor? What are some of the excess things in our home that we can bring to our thrift store? Can we shave a few minutes of sitting in front of TV or our phones and spend instead in front of the Blessed Sacrament in our adoration chapel? Instead of brooding over grievances against our family or friends, can we surrender those burdens to a priest at penance service or confession? Just as the pilot of our airplane waited patiently, Our Lord waits for us to surrender to his will to take us to our next destination.