This was an extract taking from Father Rick's Daily Homily.
In an old German tradition, Christians are warned against the "Advent Teufel" or Advent Devil. This tricky character is out to keep people so busy, distracted and overextended that they completely lose sight of the meaning of Christmas.
The Advent Devil misleads us into focusing on material things and pleasure. He is a wizard with numbers, persuading us that there are more than 24 hours in a day and more money in our bank accounts than reason dictates.
We all have good Advent intentions. But often, before the first week is over, the anxieties of the season have wrapped themselves around our necks like a boa constrictor or anaconda. Our worry about getting everything done before Christmas overwhelms us. Swept off our feet by the commercial tide, we are robbed of the time, attention and energy we intended to give to God.
Today, Jesus gives us a wake-up call: "Be vigilant. Pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man when he comes in glory."
1. Stand firm against Advent anxieties. A British singing group several years ago recorded a fun-song called "Walking Backwards for Christmas." It encouraged folks to walk not towards the glitter and gleeful attractions of a store-bought Christmas but backwards, away from the mesmerizing commercialization of the holidays.
2. Stand firm in your Advent mission to give birth to the Son of God. Advent is a maternal season. Like pregnant women who eagerly anticipate the birth of a child, we are to take heart at the prospect of Christ's coming.
The 13th century Dominican preacher Meister Eckhart put it bluntly: "What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hundred years ago, and I did not give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture. We are all meant to be mothers of God."
Eckhart perfectly explains our Advent mission. We are to give birth to Jesus by nurturing his presence in our own hearts through prayer, Scripture readings and sharing with others how God is acting in our lives. If we stand firm in our Advent commitment to these things, we will, by our Christmas joy, peace, and compassion, give birth to the Son of God in our time and culture.
3. Stand firm in your Advent hope of Christ's second coming. In Today's Gospel, Jesus speaks as a prophet, not of doom, but of hope, consolation, and redemption. However, Jesus intends his apocalyptic images as a promise of our ultimate salvation.
When he comes in glory at the parousia or end time, he wants us to be prepared to "stand erect" and raise our heads because "our redemption is at hand." Our Advent mission is to prepare ourselves for that final day of glory. How do we do that? By not allowing our hearts to be drugged by worldly cares and senseless anxieties.
By "abounding in love" for one another - especially those whose valid needs (food, clothing,
shelter, companionship) Jesus expects us to provide for. And by remaining alert for the final "day of the Lord."
So, decide today, on this First Sunday of Advent, to throw out the Advent Devil. Tell him to get lost. Say "No thanks" to the commercial hullabaloo and turn away from the seasonal distractions that would rob you of your ability to stand firm in the presence of the Lord.
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