[Deacon Gunther]
Today we start a new liturgical year as we celebrate the first Sunday in Advent. Our Advent wreath candles demonstrate the strong contrast between darkness and light. The gradual lighting of all the candles each week represents the increasing light of Christ as his coming draws near. And so, we lit the first candle on our Advent wreath representing Hope. We are reminded of the Old Testament prophets who foretold with hope and anticipation the coming of Jesus. We reflect on the good news brought to us by the angel Gabriel announcing the coming birth of the messiah.
During this first week of Advent, we also rejoice in the endless hope that God has for us. Which reminds me of an actual situation that had me hoping and praying that I would survive. A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a sailing regatta on Lake St. Clair. There were just three of us on the boat, the experienced owner, an inexperienced friend and myself who had never sailed before. I had no idea what to expect or how to prepare. The first couple of hours were quiet, almost no wind, we were making very little headway. We had hoisted the sails and then sat back and relaxed. We were eating and drinking and enjoying each other’s company. Then suddenly a powerful gust of wind came out of nowhere. Huge waves began to pound over the boat and the sky turned black as night. A hurricane strength storm hit us and suddenly we were struggling just to keep afloat. We were blown around for hours not knowing where we were, with a real fear of drowning. I was hoping and praying that we would get through this alive. Eventually the storm let up and we were able to get back to shore. Now, the other sail boats had carried radios and listened for changing weather conditions. Heeding the warnings, they had cut out of the regatta early to safety. But we were not prepared, we did not have a radio and we were caught up enjoying ourselves, instead of being aware of what was happening around us. What began in the morning as an ordinary day turned into a violent eruption in the afternoon.
Sometimes we experience a significant event in our lives that reminds us of how vulnerable we are and “wakes” us to again focus on those things that are important in life. This storm-event taught me always to plan ahead and be prepared and most importantly, to never take the gift of my family or my time on this earth for granted, and especially to thank God for those gifts.
In today’s Gospel Jesus warns us to “Be alert at all times”. As we begin the Advent season the church encourages us not to waste our lives but to re-focus on things that really matter; being more Christ-like and living out our mission to love God, love others, and follow Christ.
How quickly time can fade away. Minutes, hours, days, months, and years go by and we wonder where they went. We need to recognize that time is given to us not for our own needs but for the service of God, through our service to others.
Just imagine for a moment what would you do if told you only had a short time to live? What in your life would change? What would stay the same? Would you focus on whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is admirable?
Paul and his Thessalonian converts expected the day of Christ’s return to be imminent. None of us knows the time or day when Christ will return. Here we are more than 2,000 years after the birth of Jesus, his first coming, and we’re still waiting for his return. In the meantime, hopefully we are strengthening our hearts in holiness as Paul told the Thessalonians: “And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness ... that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints”. We must not get lost in the day-to-day ordinary routines, waiting for meaning in life. Every moment should be treasured. There is always hope. During Advent we are especially called to be more aware of our meaning in life; of how we live between that “first” coming and that eventual “second” coming.
Advent is a wake-up call. We will never know when the end will come, and that in itself is not important. What is important is what we do with our lives now. So, do we just do the minimum necessary to gain eternal life? Or are we willing to do just that little bit more required to follow Christ’s words with all our heart? What might be some of the ways you can prepare ... to put more meaning ... into your lives? How about enjoying and safeguarding the environment you live in? How about developing a greater sense of justice, mercy and forgiveness? How about participating in the sacrament of reconciliation? How about being extra charitable to those in need? How about experiencing a spiritual retreat? How about spending more time in personal prayer?
As we strive for the hope of contentment, peace and joy that comes with having a relationship with the Lord, remember that we are all called to our mission to love and serve others while we live every day to its fullest.
In a few moments when we celebrate the Communion Rite; beginning with the Lord’s Prayer. Listen closely as Fr. Paul again reminds us that: “we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
What if he came right now? My dear friends don’t be as unprepared as I was for my sailing adventure. If during Advent we ready our hearts and minds for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and every day reach out in charity and kindness to those most in need, then the good news is we “will” be ready for his second coming.
Remember, Jesus is the hope in our messy world. This Advent we should slow down and listen to his voice and focus on what’s really important. Then we can place our hope in him as we prepare our hearts to celebrate his birth on Christmas Day. May God bless you!
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