Before
we go on, let me wish you all “Happy New Year”. I know that the greeting does
not sound at all “new” and there is definitely no feel to it. But we have effectively
crossed into Year A in the liturgical calendar. And as a new year goes, this is
a time for making resolutions. Even if we do not feel it, the colour purple is
rather indicative of the direction our resolutions should take.
Firstly,
Advent is a time of longing. As we yearn, we look back at the past to
commemorate His coming in history—born of Mary, born in Bethlehem, born to be
King. This is the Christmas celebration we are so familiar with. At the same
time, we also look forward to His future coming at the end of time. There is an
urgency we should recognise as we wait for this future coming. Why? Well, the
historical coming ushered in the age of salvation. The work of redemption began
with Christ coming in the flesh. Through the Cross and Resurrection, Christ has
defeated Satan but the work of salvation is far from being completed. This is
because creation is still on a journey. The analogy to describe this period after
the first coming and before the second is that whilst the war has been won by
Christ, what remains now is the mopping up of whatever resistance there is to
the full inauguration of His kingdom. Imagine France liberated by the Allied
Forces and yet there are still pockets of Nazis refusing to surrender. This
analogy helps us understand why we are aptly described as Church Militant, the Church
still at war with forces inimical to the Reign of Christ. Even though Satan has
been defeated, he still does not want to concede defeat. He still conspires to
bring man to his knees.
Hence
the necessary preparation on our part if we are to soldier on. We are urged to
wake up from this somnambulist stupor so as to appreciate the salvation that
Christ has won for us and not squander it by our lukewarm attitude. So, wake up
and throw off the works of darkness as the 2nd reading tells us.
Embrace a life that is tempered so that what is good might lead us to what is
better instead of letting the good we enjoy slide into indulgence. With
Christmas parties lined up even before the 25th of December, we can
easily forget the penitential nature of Advent. The Lord Himself warns us not
to be caught unawares like those who partied but were washed away by the Great
Deluge during the time of Noah.
To
prepare is to be aware and this attitude is not alien to us. In fact, we have
witnessed a development which uses the past tense of the word “awake” and that
is the “woke” phenomenon. The word was first used in the 1940s as a concept
that symbolises awareness of social issues and movement against injustice, inequality
and prejudice. Remember the recent #Metoo wave that swept in by the tsunami of the
Harvey Weinstein’s scandal? We are awake!!
Whilst
it is good to be conscious and sensitive to social situations, it would also be
good if we pay a bit more attention to the state of our souls. Where do we
stand in the matter of eternal salvation? Can we, or rather, can I be sure that
when I die, I have an assured place in heaven? In regard to this eligibility
for heaven, we need to be careful of the two sins against hope. The first is
despair and the second is presumption. Despair
is a sin against hope in that it considers everything to end in failure, that
not even God’s mercy can save a person whereas presumption sins against hope in
that it takes for granted God’s mercy. In this age of cheap grace, the belief
that God is merciful has been drummed into us: He cannot help but forgive.
Well, this presumption can lead to the error of leniency.
Alongside
leniency, one of our greatest delusion is the availability of time. We believe
that we still have time and tomorrow is a favourite word for most
procrastinator.
This
evening, we have the Rite of Acceptance.
The
formal name for this ceremony is “The celebration of the rite of
acceptance into the order of catechumens and of the rite of welcoming baptised
but previously uncatechised adults who are preparing for Confirmation and/or
Eucharist or Reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church”.
It is rather mouthful, but it helps us understand what the focus of the first
Sunday of Advent is.
The
phrase “previously uncatechised adults” shows us how important catechesis is
and preparation too. The failure of catechesis is not merely the “unchurched”
but rather the advancement of the kingdom of darkness. Whether we acknowledge
it or not, there is a battle between good and evil that rages in the hearts of
each one of us. In this struggle, God is often pushed to the margins because He
gets in the way of life. He is frequently the last in our consideration. We
tend to give Him not the best but the rest.
Hence,
preparation means to refocus or rather to re-centre our lives on God. The
urgency is not meant to scare but rather to encourage us. The Collect is wonderfully
inspiring: “Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to
run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at His coming, so that
gathered at His right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom”.
May we have this resolve, this burning resolution, like an athlete at the
starting block, ready to spring into action; ready to run forth to meet the
Christ who is also coming toward us at Christmas and at His second coming.
