1st Sunday of Advent - Fr. Leo
Living in expectation of God’s imminent coming, is the way of living in today’s gospel. While we are always conscious of Jesus’ coming in time in his incarnate birth celebrated in Christmas, we are also aware that he will come at the end of time, and for most of us this will be when we go forth to meet our maker. However, the most important coming is the Lord’s coming in this very moment. Christ’s continued incarnation in each of us as we gather to pray.
When we celebrate the Eucharist, we celebrate the living active presence of Christ who comes to us now. This presence of God is not just an idea, it is the experiencing of the eternal in the present. Our prayer facilitates this experience of God in us and in eachother as we sing and profess our faith together, culminating in being made one in the living body of Christ.
Our second reading gives some guidance on how to live in this readiness. It calls us to awake from sleep, to refrain from works of darkness so in its place God’s light may shine. Being awake is making the effort of living good and healthy lives physically, psychologically and Spiritually. To be “awake,” is a conscious effort. Habits don’t change themselves. And I think we all know where in our lives a little discipline would make for a better life all around.
One simple way to be awake could be practiced as we enter the church. We all make the sign of the cross in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Most of the time we do it without thinking much about it. The good part of that is that thesymbol of the cross has become part of who we are. However, we can renew that prayer by calling to mind all that simple gesture means.
When we make the sign of the Cross, we bless ourselves by remembering that we have been baptized into the Paschal Mystery of Christ. We have died with him, giving up our old self so that our new self can share in the fullness of his spirit. We commit our whole selves to this process as we trace the cross over our bodies.
When we cross ourselves we do so in a community of believers who cross themselves as well. We share this faith which stretches all the way back to our ancestors who crossed themselves in prayer as we did this morning. So making the sign of the Cross can be a deep and profound prayer when we renew our baptisms with holy water, awake and aware, of one of our great habits. Next time we bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, let us let ourselves feel wrapped in the love of the God who died and rose for us, each and every one of us. Amen.