Yes, Advent is linked to the first Christmas in Bethlehem. But as the popular song suggests, “Christmas isn’t Christmas till it happens in your heart”, it would also mean that Christmas is a spiritual coming because Christ has to take flesh in the heart of the believer. Our entire earthly existence is essentially an exercise in enabling Him to take flesh in our hearts so that when He comes again at the “Eschaton” in His full sovereignty and splendour, those who remain, to best of their best ability and in cooperation with His grace, will greet Him joyfully. The focus of the last few Sundays before and up to the Solemnity of Christ the King, had been to remind us that this end is real and it behoves us to be prepared for it and it brings us to the next point.
We can get lost in remembering the first Christmas if our focus were on the historical commemoration. In fact, some places would already begin their remembrance as soon as the month hits “-ber”, that is, September. This country is a little more circumspect in the sense that we need to allow Deepavali to be over first before trotting out the Christmas decorations; the respectful delay has nothing to do with religious reverence. On the other hand, with regard to the future, in general, we are having a such good time that we mostly ignore the final coming because nobody expects it to come that soon. For a short while though, as Covid raged on, the world that we were familiar with appeared as if it were coming to its end and it almost felt like we were facing the “Eschaton”. Now in this presumably post-pandemic period, the idea of the end is practically off-radar as people are rushing to break free, afflicted as it were by “travel revenge”.
Nostalgia or making up for lost time notwithstanding, we cannot escape the reality that the world is truly unwell. It is not just the disrupted global supply chain or the mental health crisis triggered by an imposed isolation. It is not even the failed “Cop27” summit in which the more advanced economies accept the need to compensate poorer countries but cannot agree on the quantum. Civilisation is unwell because evil continues to rear its ugly head in the way people and countries are still exploited. Think of the recent collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX with emerging stories of sinister lies and secrets. We are never short of scandals. That evil men continue to prosper as if there were no justice in the world is instructive.
The whole idea that Christ died to save us and yet man remains stuck in the quagmire of wrongdoings should lead us to conclude that salvation is an ongoing process. The Incarnation ushered in the salvation that the world had been waiting for since the fall of our first parents. However, the manner evil shows no sign of abating just proves that salvation is awaiting completion. The Kingdom of God has been inaugurated but it is still on the pilgrimage to its fulfilment. It makes sense that Church on earth is also called the Church militant. The war has been won by Christ’s death and resurrection but the battle continues with the effort to stamp the seal of the Kingdom on creation.
The world can definitely be a better place. Isaiah in the 1st Reading paints a picture of a time when true peace will descend upon the earth. The most engaging imagery is that “they will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks or sickles”. While the legions of social-justice warriors and the army of woke-sensitive movements have been enamoured by this possibility, what is sad is the idea that such a vision could be achieved or accomplished without God.
On the other hand, St Paul exhorted the Romans to walk into the light. It is not simply the light of some humanistic principles. Instead, live like a people illuminated by the Light of Christ. With Him, even in the midst of the darkest day, we can still live as a people of hope, believing and trusting that God will never fail us. Such an attitude fits in with the Gospel. God is not playing hide and seek only to spring a surprise on us. The truth of the matter is that life is contingent; it is unpredictable this side of time. Our life is never in our control. A wisdom of the "Eschaton" is to live as if today were to be our last day here on earth.
We are future-oriented when it comes to mundane matters but not so with spiritual security. A child who shows a little musical inclination is immediately enrolled in a school for music. Yet the same child who may express a desire to be a priest is not taken seriously. He is too young, he has not experienced life yet. These are just two excuses for ignoring a child’s possible vocation. The point is, in matters spiritual, we suffer from the sickness of procrastination believing that we still have time. There is yet time to change. Try clearing out the room of a priest and you will appreciate the meaning of “unfinished business”. The same is possibly repeated with our family members.
The preparation of Advent is not just to commemorate the birth of Christ. It includes being watchful and being attentive to the different movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The purple of Advent is a good reminder that a regular spring cleaning of the soul is good and necessary. How can swords be hammered into ploughshares if there were no spiritual preparation made now for the future?
That future begins today. Last week, I mentioned about regularly renewing our resolve to follow Christ the King and for that singular purpose, He has not left us unaided. He gave us His Sacraments, notably Confession and Eucharist. If we give them some thoughts, Christ is already coming to us in these two great Sacraments. He comes into our hearts most especially when we receive Holy Communion which makes every Mass a Christmas.
In conclusion, preparing for Christmas should be more than an exercise in nostalgia. We recall the first Christmas by rejoicing that He came. For He is the Light that mankind had been waiting for. We also acknowledge a future when He will come again to gather all into the fullness of eternity. In reminiscing on the past, we look to that future with a readiness that at any moment He makes His appearance, we are prepared in every sense of the word. This is the vigilance that the Lord expects of us and we are watchful because we have a soul to care for.
