Mary Jo Federspiel, Community Member
Good morning. First I need to make mention of the fact that you heard an excellent, scholarly, scripturally based homily from Gary last Sunday. Thank you, Gary. Today – you just get me.
I also want to mention that the readings for today were somewhat different than the ones with which you are familiar. That is because I chose to use the readings from the book called The Message by Eugene Peterson. Yes, I am aware that these are not official translations of the Scriptures. They are the author’s paraphrase. He has written in an effort to make them a bit more like our contemporary English language and the ways in which we use language today. My point in choosing to use them is that in listening to our usual official translations, the words become so familiar, that at times, I’m no longer hearing the message. Having the readings presented this new way helps me to be more attentive to the meaning of the message. So, for you Scripture scholars, I hope you will accept my simplified versions.
Now for Advent, and also the Immaculate Conception which we celebrate normally on December 8th. Has it ever struck you how short and almost glossed-over Advent is in the Church? Those of us who grew up in Catholic schools learned about two primary seasons in the Church: Advent and Lent. Lent was, by far, the more significant, and therefore, more memorable Season. It began with Ash Wednesday when everyone went to church to get ashes on one’s forehead. And, just as significantly, we all gave up candy. So Lent was important in our lives. Advent, on the other hand, seemed much less significant: no ashes, no giving up candy. I don’t recall that anything was required of me. I just remember the lighting of the four candles on a large wreath that hung from the ceiling of our church. That really didn’t mean much at all to me.
So here we are now. One can buy various kinds of Advent calendars in many local stores. Usually they have some piece of candy, a small toy, or some kind of message inside each window until Christmas Day. For some, perhaps Advent still has little meaning. It’s the four Sundays thrown in between the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas. For many, I dare say, it’s not a time for much reflection and prayer. Rather, it’s a time of much busyness: shopping, pre-Christmas parties, attending Christmas programs, addressing Christmas cards, baking cookies, and preparing food for Christmas dinner.
What happens to Advent? Well, today we have Luke quoting Isaiah the prophet who clearly knew our circumstances today. Just listen as Isaiah says:
“Prepare God’s arrival. Make the road smooth and straight. Every ditch will be filled in, every bump smoothed out, the detours straightened out, all the ruts paved over. Everyone will be there to see the parade of God’s salvation.”
As you know, the ruts are still not all filled in; the orange cones are still all around, and the detours still marked. In my life personally, the detours have not yet been straightened out nor the ruts in my life filled in. Regrettably, aside from this kind of example, I don’t often find myself able to apply the prophets to my own life. So today I want to focus on Paul’s letter to the Philippians. As he often does, Paul tells the group to whom he is writing how happy he is in thinking about them. Today he says he is called to pray for them. Prayer, I think is the key to our living of Advent. On one hand we can gratefully celebrate that Mary has been chosen from the beginning of her life to be ready, and now waiting for the birth of her Son. But honestly, I can’t really get excited about the image of an infant in a manger – no matter how many versions of the crèche I see. The prayer that Gail chose to use as our Responsorial Psalm today speaks to Mary: Model of the church, show us how to be Christ-Bearers to the world; as you were at Cana – attentive to those in need; at Calvary – compassionate to all who suffer; and at Pentecost – Spirit-filled and empowered. But I see that the new Life of Christmas just makes it possible for the real, living, adult, Jesus to come into our lives. Paul prays for his communities because he wants them to continue to pray and to live in the ways he has taught them. For Paul, for his communities, and for us, prayer is our link to God. to God’s people, and to all of God’s creation.
For me personally, my prayer includes Mary of Magdala more and more. I see her with Mary, the mother of Jesus – ever listening to Him and reaching deeper and deeper intimacy with Him. At one point as I was preparing for this day, I actually thought of playing a very non-traditional song for Advent; that being Johnny Cash’s He Touched Me. The song speaks, I think, of the intimacy that both the Mother of Jesus and Mary of Magdala knew. The words, in part are:
the hand of Jesus touched me
Now I am no longer the same.
He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
I will never cease to praise Him.
I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.
That gift of deeper intimacy with Him is what I pray for always. I believe that it is that gift of intimacy with Him that makes us a community here. And I believe that it is this gift of prayer that gives real meaning to our remaining days of Advent. May we continue to pray these days in joyful hope and trust, believing that these gifts will make us ready to celebrate the adult meaning of Incarnation in our own lives.
Blessing
O Great Spirit whose voice we hear in the wind and whose
face we see in the morning sun, blessed is your name. Help us to
remember that you are everywhere; teach us the way of peace.
(Helen Weaver, Earth Prayers, p. 209)
