Good morning – and Happy New Year!
It
was probably ten days ago. Just before
Thanksgiving. Watching some television,
there were all sorts of commercials on, trying to get us to get up at some
ungodly hour on Black Friday and go shopping, or not go to bed on Thanksgiving
but rather head to the mall instead. One
commercial in particular caught my attention.
I can’t remember whose commercial it was, and I don’t recall what they
were selling. All I remember was this –
a woman grabbed something off the shelf, threw it into her already very full
shopping cart, and shouted “I’m Done!”
or “I’m Finished!” or some such.
Meaning, of course, that she had finished all her Christmas
shopping. Ready for Christmas.
And
I remember saying to myself “Done, finished, ready – I haven’t even started!” I’ve done no shopping, no Christmas cards, no
decorating, nothing!
And
then I immediately thought to myself “advent is still ten days away I’m REALLY
not ready yet – how can this woman possibly be done and ready?”
Not
only does today mark the beginning of the new Church year but, of course, the
beginning of the season of Advent as well. Advent is indeed a time of getting ready, a
time to prepare ourselves, for the coming of the Lord. And a time of waiting – in joyful
anticipation – for the Lord. And our
readings all speak to this getting ready.
The season, I think, is summed up nicely by St. Paul in his letter to
the Thessalonians when he says “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.” Advent is a time to strengthen our hearts, so
that we are blameless in holiness. What
better gift to give to the Baby Jesus on Christmas morning than our own strong,
holy, blameless hearts?
For that is what we are preparing
for, of course – the Coming of the Lord.
And how are we to properly
prepare for the Lord’s coming? How are
our hearts to be strengthened to be blameless in holiness? I would like to suggest that frequent
reception of the sacraments is a good place to start. Frequently coming to Mass – perhaps
considering making an effort to come to daily Mass for at least a few days each
week this Advent. St. Kateri has daily
Masses every morning at 6:30, 8, 9 and 11:30.
Frequent participation at Mass and frequently receiving the Body and
Blood of Our Lord in the Eucharist is a sure way to draw closer to Him and
prepare our hearts to meet Him, the babe in the manger.
But, our readings today aren’t only
speaking of the coming of the Lord on Christmas morn. No.
The readings are also speaking of the coming of our Lord at the end of
time. And more specifically, they speak
of the coming of the Lord at the end of your time and my time, when our life on
this earth is complete. And that means
that we really need to be “ready” – not only on Christmas morn, but all
during our lives.
Our Gospel today speaks of the end
time, and Jesus tells us to not let that day catch us by surprise. Rather, He says, we need to be vigilant at
all times. Always be ready. Not just for Advent. Not just at Christmastime.
And, if we’re going to get serious
about being ready, serious about increasing in holiness, I know of no better
way than frequently getting on my knees and confessing that I am a sinner in
need of God’s grace and mercy, His forgiveness.
Sacramentally. In the Sacrament
of Penance. Where I acknowledge and name
my sins and confess my sorrow – for what I have done and for what I have failed
to do. Where I promise to make amends
for my sins and go forth to do better. Pope
Benedict said this past May that “there
is a close connection between holiness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation…as
we seek the real conversion of our hearts, which means opening ourselves to
God’s transforming and renewing action.”, is the ‘driving force’ of every
reform and evangelizing effort.” Indeed,
the Holy Father said that “the New Evangelization begins
in the confessional.”
So
I’d invite you to prayerfully consider availing yourselves of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation sometime this Advent.
Don’t worry. The priests won’t
bite. And they won’t judge you. They’ll show you as best they can the love
and mercy of Our Lord Himself. And
you’ll feel the freedom and lightness that can only come from casting off the
burden of our sins!
A
couple years ago, my brother-in-law Chuck and his wife and kids were
vacationing at my wife’s parents’ cottage in the Southern Tier. On a bright and sunny Wednesday morning,
Chuck and his wife and my in-laws all went to daily Mass in Watkins Glen. After Mass, Chuck asked the priest if he
would hear his confession, and the priest gladly said “yes.” Chuck must have known something, we all think
now, for two days later he went out for a 3-hour bike ride and when he was
done, got off his bike, sat down under a
tree, and his heart stopped beating. At
51 years old, with no warning, he met the Lord.
And
as difficult and painful as that was for his family, and my wife and me and all
of the family, there was some comfort in knowing that Chuck has made his peace
with the Lord, in the confessional just two days before. We know not the time nor the place. So we need to be prepared. We need to be ready.
I
say this not to upset you or to scare you, but so that we all will heed the
Lord’s words to be ready. For Christ is
coming. And He wants our hearts joyful
and ready to welcome Him. He is coming
as a helpless, newborn babe on Christmas morning. He is coming at the end of time. And He waits for us, to welcome us, to
embrace us in His love and mercy, at the end of our lives. So that we may live forever in joy and peace
in the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Marana tha. Come Lord Jesus.
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