Advent
Today, Sunday November 29, marks the first
Sunday of Advent; the day the new church year begins. In Advent, we are challenged to do three things;
listen, look forward and wait. None of these are easy tasks for us humans.
To listen means to be
quiet. This can be hard in these weeks that lead up to Christmas. We can be so surrounded
by the noise of the season that we cannot hear this message. In Advent we listen to the promise that He
is coming. Hope for our (and the world) hopelessness is on its way. As the Spirit spoke
to us through the prophets of long ago, this message of hope is still for us today. While in history He
has come to the world to redeem us, for us personally there is a hope of the promise that He is coming to our world and to
our circumstances to change and redeem. So when you hear the scriptures read and the songs sung, listen
to what they can say to you. Your circumstances are not hopeless. He is coming. He will
bring light to your darkness.
When we have heard, we must look forward and watch for what is going to happen.
Paul said it is this way, “…Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies
ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:13,14)
Looking back will only fill us with regret. Focusing on our circumstances only fills
us with depression. Looking forward to the hope we have heard takes the focus off ourselves and places
the focus on Him.
Waiting is always hard for us. It is especially
hard when we have heard the word of hope. For with that hope comes our expectation coupled with our great
impatience. But remember that the story of Christ’s coming into the world is the story of salvation
that came at “the fullness of time.” (Galatians 4:4) God always fulfills
His promise right on time. He will come to you. He will fulfill His promise to you so,
as hard as it is, wait for Him.
Listen to His grace and you will hear the
promise. Listen and you will hear the angel choir warming up. Look forward to the concert
and the promise that at your darkest hour “the sun of righteousness shall rise,
with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:2) Wait for it. You can’t do it
yourself. Be assured that the world, Satan and others can’t keep it from happening. Wait.
Advent only means that Christmas is on its way.
Have
an Awesome Advent
Fr. David A. Barrett
