With regard to the next two Sundays we will circle round two Advent themes. First, we are longing for the coming of the Christ. In our case, it is the Second Coming at the end of time which is ritualised through a yearly remembrance of His Birth. Second, the figure of John Baptist looms large. He, who plays a pivotal role as the precursor to Christ, is a symbol of watchfulness and preparation in both words and deeds.
In memorialising Christ’s birth in the past, the Gospel reminds us that there is need to be ready for we do not know the exact time that He will come again. The obvious question is how we can be prepared.
At a basic level, a “commercialised and consumption-fuelled” Christmas, with twinkling lights and rounds of merry making, can distract and lure us away from being watchful. The purple of Lent is replayed during Advent which should actually make us stop to think for a while. Death, a taboo topic, is very much a part of this readiness. As the Lord says in the Gospel that no one knows the hours of His return, this scenario is played out daily for us especially when death catches us unawares. Basically, to be prepared is to be prepared for death because we never know the moment we kick the bucket. A few days ago, a death notice went viral, of a religious priest who up until two weeks ago, was healthy and yet he passed away rather suddenly. Unexpected death reminds us not to be lulled by a false security that life is a given and to remember that life is more contingent than certain. Here today. Gone tomorrow.
Advent does not mean that we have to wallow in sorrow or sadness. It does mean we need to think how we can prepare for Christmas. We are experts at living it up. We know how to have fun meaning that we are adept at the physical preparations that make Christmas feel Christmassy. Already, the tree if it is old, it has to be dusted and be brought out for putting up. The tinsels and the trinkets too. Cakes and cookies have to be baked, presents have to be bought and wrapped, carols have to be sung and parties have to be organised etc. Christmas joy is coming.
While it is right to think of having a great and grand Christmas celebration, what we might miss out would be the spiritual preparation. Think of a home enhanced by the beauty of a realistic crib with its exquisite figurines, a majestic Christmas tree by the side decked with glass baubles, angels and encircles by twinkling lights. While it is natural to desire a beautiful Christmas celebration with family and friends, what about the accompanying spiritual preparation?
We begin with Jesus. You may have seen tee-shirts spotting the slogan that “Jesus is the reason for the season”. Indeed He is to be born in our hearts but will our hearts to be like the inn, unable to welcome Him. Every crib sets is a stark reminder of how little prepared the heart can be to accept its Lord and Saviour.
If the crib represents the state of our heart, then the challenge is to balance our disproportionate preparation. If we go through lengths and jump through hoops to make sure that we can have a great Christmas, we can certainly make the same preparation spiritually. For example, the Cathedral does not have the Christmas Advent wreath. This tradition can be adopted by the family and it is even more meaningful because the family can gather for a short prayer each day or night. Each candle proper to the Sunday in Advent is lit every night and the family may spend some reading the Gospel narratives of the Birth of Christ and pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. This is a simple form of a spiritual preparation for the family.
A more fitting spiritual prelude to Christmas is to go for confession. There is no reason to wait until the penitential service since confession is available before Mass. Even though there is no sin for missing out on the penitential services, confession acknowledges that we need the Saviour. To fully grasp the depth of Christ’s love for us we must accept that we are unable to save ourselves. Self-help cannot bring us to heaven. The Israelites in the 1st Reading knew most keenly that redemption required the Redeemer.
Finally, there are many ways to prepare ourselves spiritually. One of them is to be conscious of our ecological responsibility. The spirit of Christ poor and humble calls us to reduce the wastage of food and drink. St Paul warned us against intemperate living and overindulge. Christmas is not just a season of plenty. It is also a season of wastage.
The result of overindulgence is always dissatisfaction suggesting that we should enter Advent preparing not just practically but also spiritually. The result will change us. According to Saint Augustine, Mary before she conceived Jesus in her womb, she had already conceived the Word in her heart. So, whilst she carried the Baby Jesus physically in her womb over a period of 9 months, she had already given birth to Him in her heart when she said yes to God. Advent invites each one of us to make our journey toward Christmas spiritual so that like Mary, before all else, we can give birth to the Lord in our hearts first. Let Jesus be born in our hearts. The rest is just icing on the cake!!
