By Father Martin Diaz Special to the Intermountain Catholic Christmas is my favorite day of the year. As a kid, it made no difference to me whether Santa Claus or our parents brought the gifts. We celebrated Jesus’ birthday by getting gifts; what could be better than that! Like most young people of my day, preparation for Christmas did not mean going through Advent as much as attempting to be moderate in my requests for "what Santa Claus would bring." However, Advent helps us to focus not on the birthday celebration of Jesus but on Jesus coming to live among us. The collect, or opening prayer, for the fourth Sunday of Advent sums up our time of preparation. We realize in the prayer that we are preparing for the glory of the resurrection. The reason for Jesus coming into the world is that all people would be able to come to eternal life — as we say, the gates of heaven would be opened. Eternal life is made possible through the passion and cross of Jesus. Our prayer for the fourth Sunday reminds us that the message of the angel Gabriel was given to Mary and to all of us. If the reason for the season is Jesus, then the reason for the season is passion, cross, and resurrection. Even as we adore the baby Jesus, our minds and hearts are attuned to following him to Jerusalem. The first two Sundays of Advent draw our attention neither to the coming of Jesus the first time nor the road to Jerusalem. Instead, the collect for the first Sunday of Advent paints an image of us at the right hand of Jesus, worthy to possess eternal life. Our attention is on the Matthew’s Gospel chapter 25, the passage proclaimed last week, Christ the King Sunday. Those on the right hand of Jesus are those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick — you know the rest. Quite a different list than the usual get-ready-for Christmas list. We will pray for the resolve to run forth to meet Christ with our righteous deeds; many will indeed be running forth this season, but it will be from mall to mall and sale to sale. The first Sunday of Advent reminds us our true home is heaven and our true calling is service. As with the first Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent places our attention on the second coming of Christ. As Mary went in haste to visit Elizabeth so we are in haste to meet Christ. We imagine Mary’s joy and puzzlement as she goes to her cousin; so too are we filled with joy and puzzlement at the second coming – joy because it is the fulfillment of our discipleship, and puzzlement because eye has not seen nor ear heard what awaits us. The second Sunday’s collect also directs our prayer so that no earthly undertaking will hinder us from our task. We pray that heavenly wisdom will guide us, not earthly knowledge. This is a reminder that, for the disciple, the choice is not between good and evil but between good and good – disciples are invited to choose the greatest good over every secondary good, which is possible only with heavenly wisdom. Our prayer for the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, reminds us to celebrate Christmas with joy and glad rejoicing. For many people, the last days before Christmas are the holiday’s crunch time – office parties, for finishing the shopping, for mailing the packages, for being frustrated and exhausted. The Church, in its prayer, focuses us on the faithful waiting that is needed. Our joy is in celebrating the birth of our Lord. We are reminded that we live in the Lord’s time. We are reminded that no office party or gift under the tree can be truly a Christmas event until the day itself or at least the evening before. We must wait and we do so faithfully. The first Sunday of Advent begins our use of the third edition of the Roman Missal. I have used the collect of each Sunday as the guide for this meditation. Our words have changed but our thoughts are the same: Christ is coming. Will I be ready? Father Martin Diaz is pastor of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale.
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