First Sunday of Advent - November 27, 2011

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By Deacon Jeff Mevissen

Advent is a season of hope and optimism. There is a saying: “the optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist says the glass is half empty, and the person from marketing says ‘you need a new glass.’” We consider Advent the season to prepare for Christmas so you might wonder why the readings today do not refer to the nativity of our Lord. Advent means “coming” and encompasses the three comings of Christ: his nativity in Bethlehem, his sacramental presence in the Church—and, his coming in glory. In the spirit of the Gospel, we consider the last coming first –the coming of Christ in glory.

How do we watch for the coming of the Lord? When we expect a check in the mail we watch for the mailman. It is our heart (our values), then, that determines what we watch for. So what conditions our heart to watch for the Lord? The principal influence is sacred scripture. Our candidates for full communion in the church who are welcomed today will receive a bible – the Word of God. Dear candidates: do not let your bible collect dust. Embrace the Word of God! If you are not enlightened by scripture, if you are not convicted by scripture, if you are not consoled and challenged by scripture – you are not embracing the Word of God. You hear the Word of God at Mass but that does not mean you are really listening to the Word. An ancient form of mediation on the Word of God is Lectio Divina. You read a passage of scripture slowly until a word or phrase speaks to you then you dwell on that word as a message from the Holy Spirit. At the onset of the conversion of St. Augustine heard a voice: “take and read.” That is my message for you today: take and read that your heart might be prepared to watch for the Lord.

Once our heart is watching for the Lord we glorify the Lord in our daily life. Once, when I was shopping at BiLo, a man was stocking the shelf with soup cans and arranging them in perfect order. I commented on the care he was taking with the cans. He said, “I like to think I am making Conway beautiful one can at a time. “ When we do ordinary things with extraordinary love we glorify the Lord in anticipation of his coming in glory.

On a retreat prior to ordination as deacons, my class was told that when we could no longer serve the people with kindness we should hang up our stoles and retire from ministry. Sure, we should serve with competence and diligence – but without kindness what do these other qualities really mean? Now that I have revealed my need to be kind – you can challenge me when I am less than kind. In our home and in our work and in our friendships there is always room for more kindness. Whenever we are kind we glorify the Lord in anticipation of his coming in glory.

I want to affirm a theme that Fr. Tim has stressed in his homilies: reconciliation. Jesus came to seek the lost sheep—to reconcile all of us to God and to each other. While forgiveness is very hard to seek and to grant—it is the path to joy and peace. There was an article a while back in the Costco Connection about Rwanda Partners. In one thousand nine hundred and ninety four, the majority Hutu tribe inflicted terrible murder and rape on the Tutsi minority in Rwanda. In 100 days over 1 million persons were brutally murdered and more were brutalized. In two thousand and four, two Americans founded Rwanda Partners to find a way out of devastation and poverty for the people of Rwanda. One aspect of this ministry is the formation of healing and reconciliation teams in communities within Rwanda—to bring together survivors and perpetrators of the genocide. Can you imagine the fear of a person returning to a village where one committed rape, murder, or both? Can you imagine the hatred and resentment of a person receiving one who committed these crimes? A woman named “Elena” lost her husband and nine children in the genocide. She said that nothing can bring them back – “but I forgive that I may live again.” When we seek forgiveness or grant forgiveness, we glorify Christ in anticipation of his return in glory.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ: embrace the scriptures that your hearts might watch for the Lord. Glorify the Lord in kindness and reconciliation. When the Lord returns in glory – may he find us watching and prepared.