It is a cold, Sunday night here in the novitiate. It's been a nice weekend. A lot of celebrating.
Yesterday, we "celebrated" the life of Br. Antonio Gonzaga. Br. Antonio died last Monday at the age of 84. It was a beautiful funeral. The eulogy, given by Br. James Riordan, focused on Br. Antonio as a man who was ever-present to life, to the present moment. In the evening, the LEO Center (Oakland) celebrated their friends (donors) with a nice presentation and dinner held here at Mont La Salle. Seven students spoke about their experience of LEO and how much of an impact it has had on them--one even brought us all to tears.
Today, we celebrated the beginining of Advent--the beginning of our preparation. Various Brothers have told me how much the novitiate year lends itself to really entering into the liturgical year and its seasons. It's been a gift to already feel that experience. I think one of the practices that helps make that possible is our "shared prayer" based on each Sunday's readings. Once a week, usually on Saturday mornings, we read the upcoming Sunday readings and each of us shares a reflection on them. A very good practice.
With the beginning of Advent, it is a great opporunity to really enter into the season and not rush into the Christmas season. This Sunday's reading came from Isaiah, Psalm 122, Paul's letter to the Romans, and the Gospel according to Matthew.
A couple of phrases struck me in the readings.
From Isaiah: "Come, let us climb the Lord's mountain,/ to the house of the God Jacob,/ that he may instruct us in his way/ and we may walk in his paths./ O house of Jacob, come,/ let us walk in the light of the Lord."
From Psalm 122: "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." (one of my favorite Spanish liturgical songs is based on this verse of Psalm 122)
From Paul's letter to the Romans: "It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep./ Let us then throw off the works of darkness/ and put on the armor of light..."
From the Gospel: "Therefore, stay awake!"
As I reflected on these passages, the Interior Life document from the Brothers' recent General Chapter in Rome came to mind. The Interior Life document speaks of being Brothers with "eyes wide open;" Brothers who live a spirituality of "mystical realism;" and Brothers who are "captured" as a result. I think this is very much an Advent message: "eyes wide open," "mystical realism," and "captured."
The readings call us to the people on the way ("Come, let us climb the mountain of the Lord"), on the way with eyes wide open ("...awake from your sleep") going toward the mystical realism, toward the light rejoicing so that we truly are awakened by the light, that is, captured by Jesus. The Gospel speaks of the end of time, the end of the world and our need to prepared. Yes, an Advent message: We should be captivated by the light this season, captivated by hope, by the coming of Jesus, that we may live with eyes wide open, awakened, so that hope triumphs over fear, light prevails over darkness. All this so that Jesus becomes the path in our life, the path to the Father. We are from God and are a people on the way back to God.
The Advent season is all about preparation. Preparing our hearts to once again renew our commitment, welcome again Jesus and let him once again be that path that leads us "rejoicing to the house of the Lord."
I titled this reflection WAIT because of the need in our world today to really prepare for the coming of our Savior. Let's not skip to "Christmas" without taking the time to wait and prepare our hearts. Let us WAIT to truly have the opportunity to realize what the "happiest time of the year" is all about.
I have made it a goal of mine this Advent to practice waiting in the practical ways of life. I was inspired by a reflection I read by a Jesuit priest who gives some "first advent-week hints:"
"Contrary to popular expectations, Advent decorations are more helpful than Christmas decorations. What might these be? Unlit candles placed in windows are a good Advent symbol. One lit Advent candle gives its little illumination during these first seven days. An empty cup or bowl placed near the Advent Wreath speaks of longing. One small sweet at the end of the evening meal can speak of the fuller joy that is coming. A good joke or word puzzle can be shared, but not the punch line or solution is spoken until the next meal. We need to grow in our sense of reaching for and not demandingly having it."
Toward the end of his reflection he writes about the Apostles in today's gospel who question Jesus about when the end will come. Jesus response to the Apostles (the gospel reading) is all about simply waiting and being prepared. The reflection ends with some practical advice for us in light of this:
"“Now, when is this going to happen, what day, where and just what exactly is going to happen?” Don’t ask! Just keep watching, keep learning, keep waiting. After all it is the season of Advent."
