Advent – A time for vigilance, holiness and hope.

[The text is only the bare bones of the whole homily. You can see the full video by clicking here. ]

     Wow! Did Advent sneak up on you like it snuck up on me? Seems just a few days ago we were wondering if it would get cold enough to have snow! Tell me God does not have a sense of humor!

       Nevertheless, here we are. I like being Catholic because literally, I don’t have to buy into the “holiday season.” Instead, we get Advent, a penitential time of renewal, reconciliation and preparation. Oh, it’s it fun to do “The Holiday Season” with its concerts, parties, flash mobs and whatnot. But for the Christian, our focus is elsewhere. With our feet firmly planted on the earth, we raise our eyes to the heavens. We await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. For the first three weeks of Advent, we are invited to contemplate the coming of the Lord Jesus in power and might at the end of the Age. In the last week, we shift gears and concentrate on his first coming in poverty and humility.

       The readings for this First Sunday of Advent remind us very strongly that it is a time for vigilance, holiness and hope.

       There is a great difference between waiting with great boredom and irritation and being vigilant. Vigilance is something active. Much like waiting for a family member or a loved one come out of the shoot at the airport, so too we should be prayerfully attentive for the coming of the Lord. Interestingly enough, if we are watchful for him to be manifest in a big way, we can recognize him when he manifests himself in little ways—in the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, or need shelter. The Advent wreath in our homes reminds us that Christ the Light of the World comes to us in increasingly more intense experiences. 

       As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Thessalonians, Advent is also a time to be renewed in holiness. It is a time to hunker down and get back to “no excuses Catholicism.” We need to make time and physical space in our lives and our homes for prayer. I especially invite all to come to our Advent Mission:  In Praise of Mary, with Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis, December 14-16. We are called to holiness and the Blessed Virgin Mary shows us how to follow her Son. The Advent wreath again reminds us that the more often we approach in prayer, the brighter he shines in our lives.

       Finally, Advent is a time of hope. If there is anything the world needs now more than ever it is hope. But not just hope in little ways, but Hope in the ultimate way. Hope that because Christ has forgiven our sins on the Cross and risen to new life, we too will transcend the vagaries of this world. The Advent wreath reminds us that despite the darkness of this world of sin, we shall shine like the stars as we dwell with Him in unapproachable light. 

       Advent is a time for vigilance, holiness and hope. I pray that it may be time of renewal, reconciliation, preparation so that we may celebrate the true Christmas season with lasting joy.