It is time to wake up!

I Sunday Advent November 27th 2022 Matthew 24, 37-44 Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry Daniel Aston, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh, Raymond Green Vance and Derrick Rump. Lorenzo Gamble, Kellie Pyle, Brian Pendleton, Tyneka Johnson and Randy Blevins. Three football players from the University of Virginia; 5 people at a gay club in Colorado Springs; 6 employees at a Walmart in Chesapeake Virginia. 608 people have been killed in mass shootings so far this year and I feared that turning on the radio this morning I would learn that my statistics weren’t up to date. No, this isn’t an anti-gun homily, though as a pro-life priest I believe that the right to life overrides the ride to bear arms, especially arms like an AR-15. No, these deaths, senseless deaths point out to me the shortness of our lives. Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The readings don’t invite us to focus upon the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem no, the readings invite us to reflect upon the shortness of life. “Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” We hear in the Letter to the Romans. The Gospel says that two men will be working in a field, one will be taking the other left. Two women working at Walmart, one will be taken the other will be left, two people dancing at a club, one will be taken the other left; eleven young men playing football, three will be taken the other left. The tragic deaths this past week point out to us all the shortness of life. We could go to other examples as well, the randomness of COVID-19; a car accident, cancer victims. What does this reality tell us? Life is short! So, what should we do? We do not know when our lives will end, or if the melting polar ice caps will flood the world or the next earthquake will destroy our city and claim our lives. We don’t live in fear though, rather the shortness of life calls us to live life to the fullest. We must live in the presence of God. Vigilance is for today! The watchful eye, the expectant heart, is for this moment. If we are sleepwalking our way through life, now is the time to “wake up.” Tomorrow is too late. Advent means to come to. Enter! To wake up. We are called to enter into life today. To enter life fully, not half-heartedly but whole heartedly. Even in the midst of the darkness, or maybe even more so because of the darkness. It is not by accident that Advent is celebrated during the darkest time of the year. The nights are longer, and the days are shorter. It is even a bit colder, though for this guy from Wisconsin not very cold. We want to stay in bed longer, to hide under the covers, but advent bids us to come forth. To wake up! To face the darkness with the light of faith. We are called to enter in, and God wants to enter with us. Even though it be night, we shall see clearly. Revelation – enlightenment – will not come to us not in the dark of our rooms with the doors closed and shades drawn but upon a midnight clear. We wake from our sleep and even though there is much darkness, no evil shall we fear. Isaiah prophesied that the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the highest mountain. Isaiah prophesied a time of peace, when swords would be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. AR-15’s into food for the hungry; books for our children. We are called to live on that mountain; we are called to be that light. The shortness of life bids us not put off till tomorrow what we can do today! We hear the same message in the second reading to the Romans. “Now is the hour awake for our sleep.” “Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” In the time of Isaiah, the believers probably wondered, “who is going to beat the swords into plowshares.” Obviously, the believers. Who is going to beat the AR-15’s into food for the hungry? We are! We are that light; we are called to dispel the darkness. So, what are you going to do today? If today really was the last day of your life, how would you spend it? Hug your children today, forgive that old grudge this afternoon. Don’t forget to tell those that you love that you love them! I don’t even mind if you just do it by a text. These are in fact works of light. Tomorrow is too late for football players at the University of Virginia, the employees at Walmart and the dancers at Club Q! Advent is our time “come to!” Advent is our time to leave the darkness and enter into the light! This reflection was helped by Fr. John Kavanaugh, SJ and his article “Seeing Daylight”