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Homily – Nov. 28, 2021 / Advent 1 (C) ● Jeremiah 33:14-16 ● Psalm 25 ●
● 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 ● + Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 ●
[__00-a_] It is practically obligatory or expected that we would bring a gift to a child for a child's birthday. And children expect we all expected to be showered with gifts wrapped presents on our birthdays. Therefore, it came as something of a shock to me a surprise to me as a teenager or young adult, when I heard about this custom of not bringing gifts to birthday parties, how grownups don't want gifts brought to them on their birthday, or other anniversary celebrations. At the very least, the older we get, it seems the material gift becomes less obligatory. Husbands and wives, this doesn't apply to you for Christmas, you must go shopping for each other. So there are some exceptions to this trend.
[__00-b_] And what we often read on invitations is this
play on words, your presence is the only gift that matters or your presence is
a present. You know the drill, just be on time. sing Happy Birthday. But don't
bring a gift.
[__00-c_] What
is the point of Advent and Christmas to follow if there is no gift? The theme
or goal is God's presence. That’s the gift we're celebrating in the Gospel.
Every Sunday we're celebrating God's presence.
But Advent reminds us to focus on God's
presence, that God's presence is a gift. In this Sunday's gospel, we read about
ominous warnings of the end of time. And I am called to ask myself, do I live an
authentic faith and Christian life and adherence to God's Word, so that I will
be able to stand head held high in
God's presence that the final judgment.
Is the mind or verdict of God and God's word,
such a closed book to me, that I would be afraid at the final judgment.
I'm testifying that God's Word and God's
verdict can be an open book, it doesn't have to be a closed book. This is why
we are called to pray to come to church to read the gospel, to read the Bible.
So that we will know what is the mind of God.
In this particular year of the church, in our
liturgical year, we will read and feature the Gospel of Luke this starts with
this Sunday's reading from the Gospel of Luke chapter 21, and will continue all
the Sunday of Advent. And almost every Sunday of 2022, will be the Gospel of
Luke.
Luke’s Gospel gives examples that might
resonate well with those of us how feel apart from or separated from regular
prayer or Catholic practice or going to church.
Or, we maybe we know someone who is. The gospel
of Luke could be a great gift to such a person.
The evangelists Luke, in both this gospel,
and in his “Part 2 / Sequel” which is Acts of the Apostles, Luke known to featuring
persons, both women and men who were on the margins are the outsiders. The word
goes out to those people on the margins.
Are you on the margin? Are you feeling on the
outside of some group that you would like to be a part of – Jesus invites you
in as the outsider.
This includes the famous Good Samaritan, the Prodigal
son, Zaccaheus, the tax collector. Lydia,
the trader in purple textile / cloth.
By God's gifts these outsiders know or come
to know the mind of God. God's word is not a closed book to them.
[__00-d_] Many
years ago, I recall being part of a verdict or a decision in a legal courtroom.
I was a juror on a trial. After hearing all the testimony from the very
intelligent lawyers and attorneys and the judge, we went into our windowless
room, the jury chamber, the jury, the jury chamber.
It felt dark in there, there were no windows.
I imagine it was also soundproof, because another rule of being a juror is that
the words of the members of the jury or
making this decision cannot be spoken outside the jury room.
We – the jurors are not allowed to talk to
people outside the jury room, and the people outside the jury room cannot talk
to us that because that would be tampering with the jury.
So I remember sensing that we had such power,
we were making this decision, we were also making a decision in a lawsuit
involving money involving monetary damages, and we were determining how much
money would be awarded in the lawsuit. No one knew what we would come up with.
We – the jurors - were a “closed book”, to
the lawyers and the judge and the defendant outside. Is that how you and I
might view the final judgement, our own eternal destiny? Is it a closed book, a
close a door, and we're not sure what God is going to decide?
The good news as Jesus tells us that we need
not fear the Judgment Day, because he has given his life for us. He wishes to
make us His disciples and this discipleship calls us. I'd like to touch on
three things to draw closer to God, by my / your spiritual practices.
[1
Renew myself voluntarily]
[2
Repent in my own voice]
[3 Rest
in God’s Presence]
[************]
[1
Renew myself voluntarily]
Often
we are prompted to renew because something is going to expire. Maybe your
driver's license is about to expire, or my passport is about to expire, or some
other form of identification is about to expire or run out how many days or
years or months do we have left? We have to renew? These are forced renewals.
They have to be done. But what about a voluntary renewal?
Can I voluntarily renew my commitment to
prayer to quiet, voluntarily renew my own commitment to be present to others?
And also recognize that Advent does begin in the noisiness of a season, a
shopping season and of your season. But do we have to be absorbed by it? It
might cause us to expire? Can we say no? At least or at least not right now. In
other words, we're called to renew ourselves voluntarily, to renew ourselves
towards God's word.
[2
Repent in my own voice]
Personally, often, I may be aware or
sorrowful of something I did wrong, sorry for my words or my actions for what
I've done for what I have failed to do in my thoughts and in my words, but am I
willing to state these things out loud in my own voice to repent in my own
voice.
My own testimony experiences that I can truly
let go of things by saying them out loud, we are called to say them out loud in
confession to a priests, to a priest who keeps everything under that seal of
confession, or as needed to say it out loud to others, to admit our faults, but
to also recognize that we are always doing this in God's presence. We speak in
our own voice to God. We are called to repent in our own voice. And this
enables us to stand on the day of judgment and to rest in God's presence.
Advent is …
[1
Renew myself voluntarily]
[2
Repent in my own voice]
[3 Rest
in God’s Presence]
And… [3
Rest in God’s Presence]
Have you ever taken a really long journey of 5-6
+ hours, maybe an overnight bus ride, overnight car ride, or red eye plane
journey or an overnight flight to or from a far country. And in that journey,
you found it difficult to rest.
You were told to rest during the journey. You
wanted to rest during the journey but it was so uncomfortable or perhaps you
were excited to be going where you were going and you could not rest during the
trip. Then, when you finally arrived at your friend's house or family home, or
the “base”, you were exhausted.
What are we told at such at time? Don’t take
nap. I don’t want to hear that! I detest
that principle of modern travel.
There I am, or I was …I have arrived I’m
exhausted and I am told not to go to sleep because while I may feel very tired,
it is actually the middle of the day, 10 am or 2pm. And you're told, “Don't go
to sleep!”. Because that's going to mess up your body clock, stay up five or
six more hours, and then go to sleep at a regular time. That's impossible!
My body wants to rest. So, I enjoy NOT following
the advice. I have some of my greatest naps, 3-4 + hour when I'm totally
exhausted. And yes, my body clock is off for a few days. And I do suffer from
the jetlag. But it's worth it, in my opinion, to rest when you get to your
destination.
Advent reminds us that our destination is now
to rest in God's presence now and if our body clock is off if we are out of
sync with the rest of the world. That's not bad. That's part of the Good News.
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