Awaiting

December 30, 2008

The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever. 1 John 2:15-17

She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:37b-38

Piety

In Honour of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say;

And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield

Should tongue that time now, trumpet that field.

And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day.

On Christ they do and on the martyr may;

But be the war within, the brand we wield

Unseen, the heroic breast not outward-steeled,

Earth hears no hurtle then from fiercest fray.

Yet God (that hews mountain and continent,

Earth, all, out; who, with trickling increment,

Veins violets and tall trees and more and more)

Could crowd career with conquest while there went

Those years and years by of world without event

That in Majorca Alfonso watched the door.

-- Gerard Manley Hopkins

This simple poem about Brother Alphonsus, the doorkeeper at the monastery, really helps drive home the fact that simple service (like his hospitality) stand in stark contrast to the passing away of the world and its enticements.

Study

Who is waiting now?

The prophetess Anna is a perfect Biblical transition from Advent to Christmas. After becoming a widow, she waited in the temple daily until she encounters the Christ-child and the Holy Family at the Presentation. Like the Advent people we are, we waited in hope until Christmas morning. God promised us his son so she waited and waited and waited.

After her encounter, we imagine that Anna went away to tell others what she had seen…carrying out the evangelical mission from St. John. She spoke “about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” After presenting Jesus in the temple, the Holy Family returned to Nazareth. However, with the presence of Jesus, the favor of God rested upon the family. Jesus grew strong in wisdom.

What about us? Are we resuming our old way of living now that Christmas Day is past? Are we using this time to grow in wisdom and to re-energize our Fourth Day? Or have we returned to the malls, offices and schools like another secular holiday passed?

St. John, in the first reading reminds us that the world represents “all that is hostile toward God and alienated from him. Love of the world and love of God are thus mutually exclusive.” Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).

If we really examine our lives and our ideals, how many of us are not leading lives filled with the behaviors that John warns us against -- sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, a pretentious life? The notes to the New American Bible warn that arrogance or ostentation in our almost-rich and want-to-be-famous lifestyle reflects a conscience turning away from what God wants from us and others.

Who is waiting now?

After we spent all this time waiting for God, if we don’t change, God must sit around waiting for us to change. Like the father in the Prodigal Son story, picture God sitting in his window, watching and waiting for us and our Advent. God now hopes to see us turning home even if we are a long distance away.

Who is waiting now?

Action

There are two days left in the calendar year. How have your contributions to charity been tracking this year? Take a minute to assess your status now and consider making a year-end gift to those charities that you feel make a difference in your Church, your community, your nation and the world. (If you use programs like Quicken or Microsoft Money to track your finances, you can run a quick report comparing current spending for charitable giving and past giving levels. You can have a snapshot in seconds and use the information to make any last minute giving decisions.)