Fr. Patrick Santianez, SX
First Sunday of Advent
“Prepare the way for the Lord is coming, the Lord is coming among us. He is coming, he is coming the Lord Jesus is coming…” This song will be sung at the start of this Sunday as we begin the Season of Advent. Advent means “coming”. It is a season for us to recall the First coming of God in our midst. We remember the day when God humbled himself and became one of us except for sin. It is a season to prepare for the Second coming of the Lord and in particular for the forthcoming Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. We are fortunate that this year preparation coincides with the Year of Mercy. The 'Jesus' that we are preparing to meet and is coming is the Jesus who is the “face” of the Father’s mercy.
How should we prepare for Christmas? How to make this Christmas a different one last year's when we were forbidden to celebrate it because of the Ebola Virus Lock Down? Jesus suggests to us some appropriate attitudes applicable both to the coming Christmas and to His second coming. Two attitudes: To be vigilant and to be prayerful.
First, Jesus asks his disciples to be vigilant at all times. It means to stay awake. He tells us to be alert and to be on the watch, and not let our hearts “become drowsy because of carousing and drunkenness and anxieties of daily life.” May we not be caught unawares. This reminds me of the attitude of vigilance of the soldiers and medical teams at the checkpoint areas on the roads, during the Ebola time here in Sierra Leone. Alertness and watchfulness were observed by them and expected of them in order to stop the Ebola virus not to be scattered in the country. Of course there were lapses but I believe that many possible Ebola carriers were stopped by the soldiers thanks to their alertness. Watchfulness helps us to prevent dangers.
Advent season is a time to be vigilant over oneself. Pope Francis, in his address to the Rectors and students of pontifical colleges in Rome said: “Vigilance is a Christian attitude. Vigilance over oneself: What is happening to my heart? Because where my heart is, there my treasure will be. What is happening here?...Keeping watch is not a matter of entering a torture chamber, no! It is watching one’s heart. We must exercise control over our heart. How does my heart feel? what does it seek? What made me happy today, and what did not make me happy?” This advent season combined with the Year of Mercy are occasions for us to have a “spiritual checkup” because our heart needs to be attuned to the heart of Jesus who is merciful. Fr. Luigi Menegazzo sx, the Superior General of the Xaverians, ask his confreres to have a positive heart: “mercy is built by, and lives with a positive heart: a negative outlook and a grumbling heart only builds conflict and division”.
The second attitude for us is to be prayerful at all times. The Advent Season is not a moment for gladness yet, instead a time for spiritual preparation, a time to deepen our spiritual life through prayer and an encounter with Him in the sacraments. Our experience tells us that prayer provides us with the necessary motivation for our ministry. It gives us the real experience of Christ’s presence, particularly in difficult situations. Prayer enables us to judge, to react and to love according to the Gospel. In my experience here in Sierra Leone, I heard many times the words, “Father, pray for me... pray for this person... pray for that person…” People are asking for prayers. I sometimes wondered: "Can they not pray by themselves? Why do I need to pray? " Later I realized that people look at me as an “expert” of prayer, as if I had a direct line to God…they consider prayer as my field of expertise.
As we start this beautiful and important season of Advent, let us take these two points in our journey this year. We need to be vigilant like the soldiers at the Checkpoint but also let us spend more time in prayer at this preparatory stage, so that when Christmas comes we will have a ready, alert heart.
First Sunday of Advent
“Prepare the way for the Lord is coming, the Lord is coming among us. He is coming, he is coming the Lord Jesus is coming…” This song will be sung at the start of this Sunday as we begin the Season of Advent. Advent means “coming”. It is a season for us to recall the First coming of God in our midst. We remember the day when God humbled himself and became one of us except for sin. It is a season to prepare for the Second coming of the Lord and in particular for the forthcoming Christmas, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus. We are fortunate that this year preparation coincides with the Year of Mercy. The 'Jesus' that we are preparing to meet and is coming is the Jesus who is the “face” of the Father’s mercy.
How should we prepare for Christmas? How to make this Christmas a different one last year's when we were forbidden to celebrate it because of the Ebola Virus Lock Down? Jesus suggests to us some appropriate attitudes applicable both to the coming Christmas and to His second coming. Two attitudes: To be vigilant and to be prayerful.
First, Jesus asks his disciples to be vigilant at all times. It means to stay awake. He tells us to be alert and to be on the watch, and not let our hearts “become drowsy because of carousing and drunkenness and anxieties of daily life.” May we not be caught unawares. This reminds me of the attitude of vigilance of the soldiers and medical teams at the checkpoint areas on the roads, during the Ebola time here in Sierra Leone. Alertness and watchfulness were observed by them and expected of them in order to stop the Ebola virus not to be scattered in the country. Of course there were lapses but I believe that many possible Ebola carriers were stopped by the soldiers thanks to their alertness. Watchfulness helps us to prevent dangers.
Advent season is a time to be vigilant over oneself. Pope Francis, in his address to the Rectors and students of pontifical colleges in Rome said: “Vigilance is a Christian attitude. Vigilance over oneself: What is happening to my heart? Because where my heart is, there my treasure will be. What is happening here?...Keeping watch is not a matter of entering a torture chamber, no! It is watching one’s heart. We must exercise control over our heart. How does my heart feel? what does it seek? What made me happy today, and what did not make me happy?” This advent season combined with the Year of Mercy are occasions for us to have a “spiritual checkup” because our heart needs to be attuned to the heart of Jesus who is merciful. Fr. Luigi Menegazzo sx, the Superior General of the Xaverians, ask his confreres to have a positive heart: “mercy is built by, and lives with a positive heart: a negative outlook and a grumbling heart only builds conflict and division”.
The second attitude for us is to be prayerful at all times. The Advent Season is not a moment for gladness yet, instead a time for spiritual preparation, a time to deepen our spiritual life through prayer and an encounter with Him in the sacraments. Our experience tells us that prayer provides us with the necessary motivation for our ministry. It gives us the real experience of Christ’s presence, particularly in difficult situations. Prayer enables us to judge, to react and to love according to the Gospel. In my experience here in Sierra Leone, I heard many times the words, “Father, pray for me... pray for this person... pray for that person…” People are asking for prayers. I sometimes wondered: "Can they not pray by themselves? Why do I need to pray? " Later I realized that people look at me as an “expert” of prayer, as if I had a direct line to God…they consider prayer as my field of expertise.
As we start this beautiful and important season of Advent, let us take these two points in our journey this year. We need to be vigilant like the soldiers at the Checkpoint but also let us spend more time in prayer at this preparatory stage, so that when Christmas comes we will have a ready, alert heart.