As Advent dawns ...

And so another Season of Advent begins as does another year of Grace. With stores decked out for Christmas since before Halloween, with some radio stations having flipped the switch filling airwaves with Christmas music and our email inboxes filled with all sorts of enticements to spend, spend and spend - allowing ourselves to be drawn into Advent is quite a challenge. Perhaps we can take a cue from the Church’s Sacred Liturgy, particularly the prayer following the Lord’s Prayer:

“Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,

graciously grant peace in our days,

that, by the help of Your mercy,

we may be always free from sin

and safe from all distress,

as we await the blessed hope

and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

1. Deliverance from every evil.
2. Peace in our days.
3. Freedom from sin.
4. Safe[ty] from all distress.

Might any of these be a dream nurtured deep within, wondering if any or all four will ever become a reality? The world repeats a tired message: evil (if it even exists) will prevail along with its chaos, peace will never come, there really isn't any sin and we will look for new ways to medicate and to cope with distress in our lives. The ethos of pessimism, skepticism, denial and despair clash with the Spirit within us because we know the struggle with evil is real, we long for peace, and sin is not only a reality but we know its seductive and addictive hold on us. The Good News is that in the presence of Jesus Christ these realities have no power. Experiencing once again the singular and unique newness of Who Jesus is transforms evil, provides peace, unleashes freedom from sin and safety from distress.

Deliverance, peace, freedom and safety bring us to Season of Advent - and - Advent more than simply a period of time. Like all Seasons of the Church year, each is about a way of living as a disciple of Jesus. Advent becomes for each disciple a school of presence, the presence of Jesus Who transforms all that is not of His Father's Kingdom. In this school, in this period of time we are invited to live less distracted and more focused on Jesus Who came to us in Bethlehem, comes to us in His Word and Sacrament and Who will come again at the end of the ages. Centuries ago, Saint Irenaeus wrote: “You must realize that He Who was promised has brought something totally new by giving us Himself.” Living Advent retunes the corporal and spiritual senses to experience the Lord’s surprising presence among us that transforms hearts and lives in ways that blow apart the narrow thinking of our imaginations. May one of Advent’s prophets - Saint John the Baptist - guide us through Lent with his axiom for discipleship: “He [Jesus] must increase; I must decrease.” (John 3:30)