Life is full of many waiting moments. Most of us find waiting difficult. Last week countless occupants lined up in their cars waiting to be tested for the corona virus so that they could travel to be with loved ones for Thanksgiving. Others waited patiently elsewhere for food so that they could eat.
Waiting is the name of the game in life. We waited nine months after being conceived to enter the world. Growing up, we wait for when we could be on our own. We wait for that one special love to come along with whom we want to journey through life. We wait anxiously for the birth of our children; then we wait patiently as they learn to crawl, walk, talk, grow and someday leave home.
Being on an island, we wait for the ferry to get from here to the mainland or vice-versa. We islanders have our own way of measuring time when we say that we had a two ferry wait or even a three ferry wait.
We have been patiently (or some of us impatiently) waiting for this pandemic to end so that life can get back to normal and we can again experience fellowship with friends that we once took for granted.
Some of this waiting can be wasted time, like waiting in the check out line in a supermarket, standing idly six feet away from the person in front of us. Some periods of waiting are filled with anxiety, such as for the student or patient wondering what the results of the test will be.
Advent, which begins today, is also a period of waiting. This season, the prelude to Christmas, is markedly different from ordinary time, the season that just ended. Notice the colors in our worship space are changed. Purple hues have replaced the shades of green. And near the altar is the Advent wreath decked with four candles to remind us that we will be waiting through four Sundays to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
The wreath, soon to be blessed and lit, is a sign of our Christian waiting. First, the wreath is a symbol for Christ to come at Christmas. Like countless generations of believers did before us, we wait to see God’s plan of salvation be revealed to us by his son, Jesus. Like the people in Isaiah’s time, we lament that our world is a mess and we await God’s help to restore its beauty.
Secondly, this wreath is a symbol of Christ’s coming at the end of time or at the end of our life. The end of our life is the only thing certain about our life. But the circle of the wreath is a reminder that life doesn’t end. We have the assurance of life after death flowing from Christ’s death and resurrection.
As Paul mentions in his letter to the Corinthians, we are waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. This happens in countless ways provided we are open to encountering him through prayer and reconciliation. Think of the advent wreath as a symbol of our waiting for Christ to come into our lives more and more in the days ahead.
In the gospel, we hear Jesus admonishing his disciples, “Be watchful! Be alert!” Like Mark’s first century audience many people today have been living in a state of uncertainty and anxiety. Covid-19, ongoing struggles for racial justice and inequality, the uncertainty of having a job, the presidential election have all dominated our minds and hearts.
We long for a time of reconciliation and peace, a time of mutual respect and cooperation. Advent is a time of waiting for this new world to appear.
These readings remind us that without Christ, our hopes tend to die, our dreams fade away, our life has no ultimate direction. But with Christ, there is much to be gained. As our mentor and model for living, Christ provides us with the blueprint for living fully in this time, repeatedly urging us to incorporate works of mercy into our daily lives. When he comes, will he find us doing that or being preoccupied instead lusting after images on the internet, engrossed with our cell phones or indulging in malicious gossip? May we use these weeks to put away our distractions and put our faith in Christ anew being ever watchful for his coming.
And how might we do that? For starters, our day is filled with many distractions, which doesn’t allow us to wait patiently. Distractedness is a way of not paying attention to the needs of others or the voice of God. A good antidote would be to attend Mass but if you are hesitant to do that, at least take time to reflect on the daily readings proclaimed at Mass. In the comfort of your home, go to a quiet corner, light a candle on your advent wreath if you have one, pick up your copy of the Word Among Us, reflect on the day’s reading and the commentary.
Consider adopting an internal quiet time to wait with and for Jesus. We might want to quiet ourselves with more prayer. One manner of doing that could be to say the Jesus prayer. “Lord Jesus, son of Mary, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I do this almost daily after lunch for 15-20 minutes.
Advent is a time when we prepare to celebrate an event of the past: the birth of Jesus but the readings today invite us to look to the future as well, namely our hope and anticipation of eternal life with Christ in the kingdom of God. As we wait, be alert! The moment God has in store for your divine encounter may come when you least expect it.