Homily
for the first week of Advent 2014
(Saturday Evening) Welcome
to Fr. Wayne – Fr. Paul is on a little three day vacation to Wisconsin for an
anniversary of good friends.
(Story)
So today we begin our journey.
Our Advent journey
Keeping
it simple, Advent is the time we prepare for Christ. This is the great liturgical season of
waiting, not just a passive waiting but a yearning and searching as we reach
out for God. For the next 25 days, as we
approach Christmas and the celebration of the Birth of Jesus, we are not just
watching and waiting but we need to be searching out Christ in our lives right
now.
I saw
a bumper sticker once that said, “Jesus is coming soon. Look busy!”
Looking
busy, wow we are already so busy during this time of year, we don’t need to act
it. From all of the Christmas shopping,
the family gatherings, the card-writing, parties, and all that goes with the
season, we are very busy. In the first reading Isaiah gives us a clue
to how we should be acting during this season, as well as all year long. We need to focus on doing right and
remembering God in our life and his ways for us.
Look
busy sounds funny and yet it made me remember my childhood days. Mom might leave us so she could go grocery
shopping. I was the oldest so she left
me in charge. (She would leave a list of
chores for us to do around the house.)
Then as soon as she left, the games would start. Our favorite was hide and seek. (Remembering to keep watch so that when she
got home, we would all run to our chores as diligent and obedient little
cherubs.)
On one
occasion, my brother Dan, who was only a year younger than me and very
competitive, took the game of hide and seek to a new level. As he hid behind the living room couch, he
decided to cut all of the hair he could off of the top of his head, so that it
would not stick up and give his hiding place away. Speaking of hiding, you can imagine that he
was not the only one that got in trouble when Mom got home.
As we
listen to the Gospel of Mark today we hear him say, “Beware, keep alert and Keep awake”
That
would cause us to imagine standing at the door, looking at the horizon and
anticipating the return of God in his glory.
Is that what Advent is all about?
I
would suggest that there is something even more important that looking for the
return of God in the future. How about looking for and searching out the Christ Child
(God) right here and now.
Think
for a moment with me outside the traditional box if you will. Try to think of the Master that Mark talks
about in the Gospel, as a playful child who is already in our house, is already
here with us.
In the
study of Theology we are taught about the different stages of Christ’s
life. We are told that each stage of his
life is relevant for our spiritual well-being, including the first stage of
Jesus as a child.
We
spoke of hide and seek. Imagine if you
will that you, as a child are playing the game and you are hiding. After a long time you realize that no one is
looking for you. In the old traditional
story about this, we find a little boy in that situation. When he realizes that his friend has tricked
him, left him and gone away, the little boy runs to his grandfather and cries
as he tells his story of betrayal.
At
that moment tears start in the eyes of the grandfather as he responds, “God has
the same thing happen to him. He hides
in this game but no one looks for him.”
You
see, advent can be a time where we not just watch for the future return of God
but when we search him out right here and now.
We
first need to listen for him. If we are
silent for a moment with ourselves, our thoughts, the scripture, our prayers,
then it is likely we will find him right where we are.
We may
be tempted to rush off looking before we slow down and listen, slow down and
search in our own lives, our family, our blessings of community, of our faith
community, of others in need, of the love of our spouse, our children our
closest friends.
Where
is the master hiding? You can find him
most anywhere if you make the effort to seek him out, but is much easier in the
quiet and peacefulness of our prayer, family, church and most cherished times
with loved ones.
If in
the end you still have trouble finding him, keep in mind that in this hide and
seek game of Advent, Christ is searching for you as well. You may just run to the home base as we did
as children and yell “Oly, oly Oxen
Free” or
“Here I am Lord!”
Have
a Blessed Advent.
- Deacon Jim
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