Friday Focus: Advent Again

Sometimes it seems that we contemporary Christians have the attention span of humming birds. We flit from task to task, distraction to distraction. Sure we’re working hard. We’re meeting our obligations. But our days are ruled by the crisis du jour, interspersed with escapist entertainment. String enough of these busy days together and we risk lifetimes of mindless, soulless busyness. And just as we’re in danger of multi-tasking ourselves into a spiritual stupor, Advent is back again.
Thank you, Lord. We need it. This Sunday’s gospel nails the spirit of the season. Jesus tells us to snap out of it. Get our priorities straight. Stay awake. The Lord is coming. That’s what’s important in life. In our hyper-caffeinated world, while we’re coping with high levels of economic, domestic and social stress, there’s not much chance of our literally falling asleep on God. But there is a major risk of our falling into routines that leave no room for him…that drag us down in a succession of hectic, Godless days. We certainly don’t set out to disrespect God, but he’s got to wait his turn. We have so many more pressing things to do. Advent is an opportunity to snap that spiral…to put Jesus back in the center of our lives.
Grace is a gift from God. But holiness is a gift we grow and give back to God. Grace is no guarantee of holiness. We must cooperate with God’s grace to nurture holiness. It’s the healthiest habit we can ever have. It builds character, serenity, joy…all the great, good things of a vigorous Christian life. And it all starts with staying spiritually awake, being prepared for Christ’s coming, welcoming him into our lives every day, not as a vague abstraction, but as the driving force. It is a very tall order. Merely wishing won’t make it so. We have to work at it. And that’s where Advent comes in.
Let’s not wait for God to knock. Invite him in every morning in Advent. Start the day with a greeting. Praise the Lord. Thank him. Ask Jesus to stay with you through the day. Then check back as the day goes on: before meals, between tasks, in breaks, on errands. Make Jesus an integral part of your routines. It’s the very best thing you can do with your day. Then end the day with Jesus. Tell him your problems. He’ll help sort them out. Get up the next day and do it all again. Keep at it. And pretty soon you’ll find far greater peace and purpose in all you do. Soon you’ll be able to say: “I’m ready Lord”…and really mean it, because you will be.
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