A few summers ago I traveled to Guatemala to begin to study Spanish. This country has many opportunities to get out of the city and to see some of the surrounding area. They have volcanoes, Mian ruins, beautiful lakes, and more within this country. A group of us decided that we wanted to travel up an active volcano and so we booked some tickets with a local travel agency. We ended up in central park that morning waiting for our bus to arrive. The tickets told us to be there 30 minutes early or 30 minutes late! We arrived a little over 30 minutes early and waited and waited. It was now 9am the time the bus was to leave and still nothing in site. We therefore waited some more. With each bus that passed by we thought that this might be us, but each time we came up empty handed. The bus was now 30 minutes late and still we decided to give it more time. After an hour passed we decided that it was never going to show up and decided that we needed to look for new options.
We have begun the season of Advent and each of us is called to be watchful and awake. We are awaiting the coming of Christ and therefore need to be watchful and awake. Thankfully we know that on December 25th the season of Advent will end and we will move into the Christmas season. The problem with knowing this fact is that we must do everything in our power to prepare our hearts and souls for this great event. We cannot just stand on the side of the road allowing the world to pass by while we wait, but each of us must get actively involved in the world around us.
Those in the reading from Isaiah were called to be awake because the Lord was returning soon. They were informed that the world was passing away like withered leaves and yet they were called to be fully ready to be molded by God the Father. May we remain awake also and realize the strengths and weaknesses that we have. Through this realization may we understand that no matter how sinful or holy that we may find ourselves that we still need to hand ourselves over to God and to allow Him to mold our lives. Last weekend I was in Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference and saw this played out in the lives of 23,000 people. On the final day of the conference I saw lines backed up as far as the eye could see to partake in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The lines got so huge they added more rooms and confessors and yet the lines would only grow. These teens were truly being watchful and awake and handed themselves over to God to be molded in holiness. During this season of Advent may we also be watchful and awake and partake of the Sacrament of Reconciliation to aid us in this same process.
If we can be inspired to use this great season of Advent to help us to remain watchful and awake we will be like the Christians who Saint Paul was addressing today in his First Letter to the Corinthians. We are told by him that God is faithful and by Him we have been called into fellowship with Jesus Christ His Son. Nothing in life can surpass this great union of love if we allow ourselves to grow more and more towards union with Christ. This world is truly passing and there is nothing besides union with Christ that can leave us filled. Black Friday is the perfect example of people who are in search of the BIG deal. People have studied the sales paper, know what their goal is, have arrived early, and are ready to pounce at the click of midnight. Yes they may get the item they desired, but there will always be something more that they will need. My brothers and sisters if we allow ourselves to enter into this season of Advent and remain watchful and awake we will draw closer to Christ. Our only desire in life will be to grow deeper and deeper towards Him and His dive love. May we use this season to study scripture, realize what virtue we need to grow in, and make a plan that can help us to accomplish this great task.
We have been created by God with the hope that we will remain watchful and awake. When we remain watchful and awake we are ever growing closer into union with God. Let us not waste this season of Advent, but may we partake of it fully. If we desire to enter into this union it will come if we are willing to work at it. We will not be left stranded awaiting some unforeseen object, but we will truly begin to be transformed more like Christ each and every day of our lives. If we sit by and decide that we want to sit back and relax the days will pass by and nothing will change within in us. Christmas will come and go as will our trees and decorations and we will remain the same stagnant person. Let us instead use this season of Advent to commit ourselves to growing more and more into union with Christ.
As my group waited on the side of the road we were harassed by many local travel agents. They promised us that our bus was never going to come and offered to take our group in their van. They had IDs on them showing that they were licensed with the country of Guatemala to give tours. When we realized that our bus was not going to arrive we gave in and allowed one of the travel guides to take us to the volcano. Despite failed plans with the bus we eventually reached our destination. May we also accept Christ's offer to stay "watchful and awake." May we use this season of Advent to aid us in reaching our destination of reaching closer union with Christ. May we accept any tools that the Church offers us to help us arrive at this destination. The Sacraments are here to help aid us in arriving here if we decide to partake of them. Today we will receive Christ in His Body and Blood and we will be given a glimpse into the Heavenly Kingdom that we have been promised. May we not waste this season of Advent, but may we use it to grow in grace, so that we may see the face of God and be saved.
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