[1]Years ago, when stationed in Hawaii, I coached flag football for some years. I had the young kids just starting their football careers. They were of the age where they needed lots of very specific direction and a generous portion of encouragement. We were a good team winning often. We started every game reminding the players of their specific job and encouraged them to do their best. When the game ended, I always asked the kids, “did you do your best?” It seemed so easy to feel their best when they were winning. It was after first loss, a tearful loss I must say, that the real learning began. Much to the surprise of the on looking parents and sports director my after-game talk was the same, “Did you do your best?” Some would share how they felt they made mistakes and I’d ask them to describe the mistake. My last question was, “how do we get better?” We’d end with, “even if we lose the game, if we did our best, we can go forward with our heads held up, because we are learning to be a better player and teammate.”
You see in sports there are mini advents. As each game ends, we took the time to reflect on our performance, rededicate ourselves to make the necessary commitment to improve, trying to avoid the same mistakes, all in preparation for the beginning of the next game. Isn’t this what God is calling us to do as we begin the Advent season?
Our first reading is framed in the form of a prophesy for the material and spiritual renewal of the Jerusalem population devastated by the long siege by Babylon. For the Israelite nation the future seemed to be dark, the clouds heavy and rain pouring down upon them. Yet Jeremiah reminds them of God’s promise to “raise up for David a shoot; he shall do what is right and just … and Jerusalem shall dwell secure.” (Jer 33:15-16) Throughout the Book of Jeremiah the Nation of Israel is encouraged to give their best to God, to turn from vain idols, and walk with their heads held up having faith, hope and trust in God’s promises.
We find in St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians a formula for preparing ourselves to be a prophesy of hope for a very troubled world. Paul tells us to ask the Lord to make us “increase and abound in love for one another and all, [and to] strengthen our hearts to be blameless in holiness” (1 Thes 3:12). All too often we hear, “I won’t talk to or forgive so-and-so, until they apologize or agree to some other condition.” Paul desires a mature, fraternal love, open to everyone in the community. I use to tell the young players you may not like your teammate, but for the sake of the team you must respect them and learn to encourage each other. We win together and we lose together. For us, we might not like our neighbor, like the way they speak, their political ideology, or even how our neighbor on the street smells; yet for the sake of our salvation, we must respect them and lift them up as a fellow child of God. This is the finest preparation and guarantee to meet the Lord when he comes. Are we doing our best? Are we practicing what we have attained by our Baptism in Christ?
Let’s talk about the Lord’s coming. Jesus borrows images of the prophets, telling us there will be signs announcing his return. The key to his message is to “Beware that our hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.” (Lk 21:34) He is telling us in our preparation, as we are attentive to the signs, we must avoid getting drunk on the things of this passing world. He is telling us, You and I just might be the signs to which others look to see, “the Son of Man” (Lk 21:27) the hope of God’s promise.
Last week, in our celebration of Christ the King, Fr. Josh reminded us that in every Eucharist we get to see the King of Kings face-to-face. Every time we celebrate the Mass, we can experience an Advent, an ending yet a beginning. An opportunity to ask am I doing my best? An opportunity to acknowledge our mistakes, ours sins. An opportunity to recommit to doing better. And an opportunity to enter into the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, to be strengthened by His body and blood so as we re-engage the world with our heads raised as we experience the Lord’s presence now. What do we hope for at Christmas but freedom from the chains of an obstinate character, the liberation of our life from attitudes and unhealthy activities that enslave us in the present? In doing our best we may still be apprehensive in the face of the announcement of God’s coming. Yet, in this unpredictable world, God assures us of his care. In our vulnerability, God comes as the most vulnerable of all, a newborn child.[2]
[1]
New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition © 1986. Scriptures: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians
3:12 - 4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36.
[2] Sundays with Jesus,
Reflections for the Year of Luke, James DiGiacomo, SJ © 2006.
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