Sunday, December 3, 2017

Scrooge & Advent-Past, Advent-Present & Advent-to-Come


From the Catholic Liturgy for the First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2017. Gospel: Mark 13:33-37. Theme: Advent-Past, Advent-Present and Advent-to-Come.

Now that December is here and Advent has begun, our thoughts turn so naturally to the approaching feast of Christmas, what with all the sights and smells and sounds of the season all around us. For me one of the most cherished stories we read or watch at this time of year is of course the classic work by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. I am sure you are all familiar with the story of how on bleak and cold Christmas eve, the greedy miser Scrooge is converted into a generous Christian man by means of the three visitations he experiences from the Ghosts of Christmas-Past, Christmas-Present and Christmas-to-Come.

Well, you know, it isn’t an accident that Dickens thought up this plot. He was simply borrowing the threefold meaning of Advent using it as the plot for his story. You see, the word Advent comes from the Latin language and means “coming” or “arrival”. And this coming has a triple format just as we see in Dicken’s story. As Catholics, we are called to observe Advent-Past, Advent-Present, and Advent-to-Come. And it is only by living this full triple meaning of Advent that we can experience what Ebenezer Scrooge experienced come Christmas Day: a genuine conversion of heart, which means a New Way of Thinking, a New Way of Looking at Life, A New Way of Living!

First of all, we remember Advent-past when Jesus burst into human history and, giving up his divine power in taking up our weak human nature, lived exactly like us in every way except sin. What God has even done such a thing for his people? Our God did because He wanted to show us his love and not just talk about it. A love so real that he wanted to share our lives, to live as we live, even to suffer and die as we do. We embrace and live Advent-past by turning to the Gospels frequently and pondering over His words and example. They are like no other.  The Gospels must become part of our regular spiritual life.

Secondly, we embrace Advent-Present, the only Advent that is truly ours to live. Advent past symbolized by the stable and star of Bethlehem is a memory. Advent-to-Come is a future hope. But Advent-present is all ours to welcome and encounter Jesus who comes to us up close and personal through Mystery of Faith. Recall that right after consecration, the priest  proclaims “the Mystery of faith” and we all answer with words that show our belief and trust in our truly present Crucified an Risen Lord. And so, Advent-Present calls us to prepare for Jesus with hearts open to receiving Him into us. Deep faith in His Real Presence and loving reception of Jesus in Holy Communion is how we encounter and live Advent-Present. It can be ours every day.

Finally, we have the third meaning of Advent, Advent-to-Come. This was the most effective part of Dicken’s story for old Mr. Scrooge’s conversion. It should also be the most effective part of our conversion of thinking and living.  Advent-to-Come enables us to realize that Jesus can come for us at any moment and this is the lesson of today’s Gospel where He says to us, “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”  We prepare for Jesus coming in this third Advent by always living each day as if it was our last. Doing our best every day to know, love and serve God and showing this in the way we treat those with whom we live, work and socialize.


So, as we begin to live the season of Advent this year, let’s remember those three words: history, mystery and majesty.  Let’s put them into practice so as to keep Christ in our hearts and welcome Him into our lives. If we ponder the gospels, receive Holy Communion faithfully, and live each day as our last we can be sure that this Christmas- and beyond – will find us as changed and transformed as was that old Scrooge who found such joy in his new way of thinking, his new way of looking at life and his new way of living.

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