Whenever I read a homily or reflection or writing by Pope Benedict XVI, I am struck by his gift for reaching out and touching the hearts, minds and spirits of everyday Catholics who are struggling to make their faith real amid the busyness of modern life. It is amazing to me that this pope could be so in tune with what I'm going through in my frantic suburban family home. His words during vespers for the first Sunday of Advent struck a chord for me today especially as I ponder how to keep Advent front and center in what is becoming an increasingly secular season in the world around us.
From Pope Benedict's homily at the Vatican Basilica, as reported by the Vatican Information Service:
"In daily life we all know the experience of having little time for the Lord, and little time for ourselves. We end up becoming absorbed by 'doing'. Is it not often true that it is activity itself that possesses us, society with its multiple distractions that monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we dedicate a lot of time to entertainment and leisure activities of various kinds?
"Advent, this potent liturgical period we are entering, invites us to remain silent as we come to appreciate a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are signs God addresses to us, signs of the care He has for each of us. How often does God make us aware of some aspect of His love! To maintain what we might call an 'inner diary' of this love would be a beautiful and rewarding task in our lives. Advent invites us and encourages us to contemplate the living Lord. Should not the certainty of His presence help us to see the world with different eyes?"
Later in the homily, the Holy Father addressed the Advent significance of "waiting," something that can be difficult for those of us unaccustomed to waiting for anything, be it a long-sought-after job or a big-screen TV:
"There are many different ways to wait. If the present time is not filled with meaning, the wait risks becoming unbearable. If we await something, but at this moment have nothing - in other words, if the present is empty - then every passing instant seems exaggeratedly long and the wait becomes an over-heavy burden because the future remains too uncertain. When, on the other hand, time has meaning and at every instant we perceive something specific and valid, then the joy of waiting makes the present richer," the pope said.
Jesus, he said, is "present among us and speaks to us in many ways: in Sacred Scripture, in the liturgical year, in the saints, in the events of daily life, in all creation, which changes its appearance depending upon whether [we see Him] behind it or whether [we see it] shrouded in the fog of an uncertain origin and uncertain future."
May we all push past the "fog" in our lives to a place where we can clearly see God's hand at work in the daily events of our days. Do you have some Advent traditions you want to share? Do you have any tips for keeping the spirit of the season strong? Please share in the comment section.
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My family created a felt banner when I was young (yes felt...ala post-Vatican II) that featured many differently-shaped houses on a yarn pathway. Each day of Advent, the Star of Bethlehem progressed from house to house, each of which was labeled with a family name of a friend or relative. During the course of Advent, we prayed for all our closest people (or some that we still honored in memory) during our evening meal. Of course, the star ended up over the House of Bread on the 24th, when we enjoyed our Christmas feast before going to Midnight Mass. We also took turns opening the door on our Advent calendar. We also had a craft project to make an ornament; each of the four Sundays, another element would be added to the ornament and the final product would be hung on the tree on Christmas Eve. As a family, we also withheld Christmas decorations until the 24th. It's a special moment for me yet when the purple and pink candles go into storage to be replaced by green and red. The ribbons on the wreath hanging on the front door would likewise change color, marking the end of one season and the start of the next. Perhaps the most treasured of our domestic church traditions was the lighting of the luminaries before we headed to midnight mass. We were lighting the way for Christ to enter our home and our hearts. I've always appreciated that we never used electric lights and could all the more gasp in wonder when our row of paper-bag luminaries twinkled along the road and up to our driveway, fighting the wind yet instilling peace.
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