Second Sunday in Advent, Cycle B

MARK 1:1-8

BEFORE JOAN AND I GOT OLD AND STARTED HAVING THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH OUR DAUGHTER, WE WOULD PUT THE WHOLE FEAST ON OURSELVES, AND THERE WOULD USUALLY BE A LOT OF HUNGRY PEOPLE. I REMEMBER ONE TIME WE HAD ALL OUR KIDS, TOGETHER WITH THEIR COUSINS, AND THERE WAS A BOYFRIEND OR TWO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. OUR TRADITION FOR THANKSGIVING WAS TO GET UP EARLY AND GO TO MASS, BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT THE WORD “EUCHARIST” MEANS – GIVING THANKS – AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE A VERY LIGHT BREAKFAST. WE WOULD GO OUT AND RAKE LEAVES, OR BICYCLE SOMEWHERE, OR PLAY TOUCH FOOTBALL, OR TAKE A LONG, REALLY LONG, WALK. THE WHOLE IDEA WAS THAT WE WOULD APPROACH THANKSGIVING SUPPER WITH VERY HEARTY APPETITES, AND WITH REALLY GOOD APPETITES, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SUPPER.

IF WE ARE HUNGRY, FOOD TASTES BETTER; IF WE ARE THIRSTY, A COLD GLASS OF WATER IS LIKE A FINE WINE. IF WE ARE TIRED FROM A HARD DAY'S WORK, OUR BED BECOMES A LUXURY. THE MORE WE ARE DEPRIVED OF SOMETHING, THE MORE WONDERFUL IT FEELS TO FINALLY GET IT. WE HUMAN BEINGS ARE PHYSICAL CREATURES; WE NOT ONLY HAVE BODIES, WE ARE BODIES, AND EVERYTHING WE DO, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, INVOLVES OUR BODIES, AND IN TURN OUR BODIES INFLUENCE EVERYTHING IN ALL OF THESE REALMS. OUR 2000 YEAR OLD CHURCH KNOWS THIS, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE VARIOUS SEASONS OF THE LITURGICAL YEAR. THE SEASON OF ADVENT IS THERE TO HELP US LONG FOR THE COMING OF OUR LORD.

LISTEN TO THE READINGS THIS SUNDAY. THEY ARE ALL ABOUT WAITING, WAITING FOR GOD TO COME AND FILL UP OUR EMPTINESS. IN THE FIRST READING, THE PROPHET IMAGINES WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE WHEN GOD FINALLY RETURNS TO RESCUE HIS PEOPLE; GOD WILL BE LIKE A SHEPHERD, NURTURING, GUARDING, AND GUIDING HIS PEOPLE. IN THE SECOND READING, PETER ADDRESSES HIS DISCOURAGED FLOCK; THEY ARE UNDERGOING PERSECUTION AND THE FUTURE LOOKS BLEAK; AND WHERE IS THIS SECOND COMING ANYWAY? PETER SAYS, KEEP WAITING; IMAGINE THAT TIME WHEN THERE WILL BE A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, AND EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOING THROUGH WILL BE WORTH IT. AND JOHN IN THE GOSPEL PROMISES THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME OUT TO SEE HIM THAT THEIR WAIT IS NEARLY OVER, THE ONE THEY HAVE EXPECTED IS ALMOST HERE.

WAITING DOES TWO THINGS. OF COURSE IT MAKES WHAT WE ARE WAITING FOR MORE WONDERFUL, MORE FULFILLING, MORE DELIGHTFUL. THOSE FIRST DAYS OF SPRING AFTER A COLD SNOWY WINTER ARE ALMOST MAGICAL; BUT A WEEK LATER, NOT SO MUCH. AND IF WE HAD THAT TURKEY DINNER FIRST THING ON THANKSGIVING MORNING, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T TASTE VERY GOOD. BUT WAITING MAKES US DESIRE THE OBJECT OF OUR WAITING, MORE AND MORE, THE LONGER WE WAIT. AND HERE'S ANOTHER THING. WAITING IS ACTIVE, NOT PASSIVE. IF SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT THERE WON'T BE A THANKSGIVING SUPPER THIS YEAR, I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT, CAN I? AND MY ATTENTION WILL TURN AWAY AND I'LL FORGET ABOUT IT.

ADVENT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE IN A STATE OF WAITING, BECAUSE WE FORGET IT SOMETIMES. WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE OUR ORDINARY LIVES AS PLEASANT AND COMFORTABLE AS THEY CAN BE, AND THAT DISTRACTS US FROM THE WAITING.

WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF THERE WAS SOMETHING WE COULD DO TO SHORTEN OUR WAITING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE WAITING FOR SOMETHING WONDERFUL? IT APPEARS THAT WE CAN. PETER TELLS US THAT CONDUCTING OURSELVES WITH HOLINESS AND DEVOTION HASTENS THE COMING OF THE LORD.

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, YOU SHOULD SPEND A LITTLE TIME NOW AND THEN IMAGINING HOW THINGS WILL BE WHEN THE LORD COMES AGAIN. THERE ARE PLENTY OF HINTS IN SCRIPTURE, BUT THEY ARE VAGUE AND USUALLY SYMBOLIC. THE LORD WILL COME WITH TRUMPET BLASTS FROM THE SKY, ACCOMPANIED BY ANGELS; CROOKED WAYS WILL BE MADE STRAIGHT AND MOUNTAINS WILL BE LEVELED TO FILL IN THE VALLEYS; THE FAITHFUL WILL NEED NO LAMP OR SUN, BECAUSE GOD WILL BE THE LIGHT FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM. BUT WHILE THESE IMAGES HINT AT WHAT IT MIGHT BE LIKE, MARY OUR MOTHER ASSURES US THAT THE PROUD WILL BE BROUGHT DOWN, THE LOWLY WILL BE ELEVATED; JESUS TELLS US THAT THE SORROWING WILL BE COMFORTED, THOSE WHO HUNGER FOR JUSTICE WILL FINALLY BE SATISFIED.

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, YOU SHOULD DEVELOP A CLEAR PICTURE OF HOW IT SHOULD BE, HOW IT WILL BE, WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN. AND EVERY TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE IN PAIN, SOMEONE STARVING; WHENEVER YOU SEE PEOPLE BEING MARGINALIZED BECAUSE OF THEIR LANGUAGE OR THEIR COLOR OR THEIR PLACE OF ORIGIN; YOU SHOULD LONG TO HASTEN THE LORD'S COMING – AND YOU CAN DO IT BY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE.

IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, THE MORE YOU IMAGINE THE COMING OF THE LORD, AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS HE WILL BRING WITH HIM, THE MORE YOU WILL LONG FOR THAT TIME. AND IF YOU LONG FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD, IF YOUR WAITING IS ACTIVE WAITING, IF YOU ARE GOING ABOUT FILLING UP THE VALLEYS AND LEVELING THE MOUNTAINS AND MAKING CROOKED WAYS STRAIGHT, THE TIME OF WAITING WILL PASS SWIFTLY, AND YOU WILL BE READY WHEN HE COMES AGAIN.