Wait! Wait!

Wait! Wait!

Have you ever tried to train a puppy in the basics? My experience is that most pups pick up on “sit” and “come” right away, but “stay” is a bit more challenging. Puppies have so much energy and there are so many new places to explore that “stay” does not seem like much fun. If they stay they miss out on something exciting and why would they want to do that?

We are in the liturgical season of Advent – not Christmas.  Advent is a time for the faithful to learn how to stay.  It is about waiting. In contrast, Wal-Mart, Hallmark, Pinterest and Amazon all tell us that we don’t have to wait on anything. This is the time of the year to be busy! There are so many things we need to do, so many gifts we need to buy, so many places we need to go, so many exciting events that we MUST attend.  Wait? We don’t have time to wait! Waiting and staying do not seem like much fun because we might miss out or get behind. Waiting…staying at the beginning of December?  Really?  Who has time for that? Culture tells us one thing and the Church tells us another. So what’s a Christian to do?  How should we approach Advent?  If we don’t decorate the house right now or go to every event then how do we prepare?  Do we give in to culture or do we wait?

Walter Bruggemann says that “Advent is not the kind of ‘preparation’ that involves shopping and parties and cards.  Such illusions of abundance disguise the true cravings of our weary souls.  Advent is preparation for the demands of newness that will break the tired patterns of fear in our lives.”

In the season of Advent we prepare our hearts, souls, and minds for our encounter with the Holy.  It is an internal preparation. That is what we do while we wait.  So take a deep breath. Feast on God’s Word.  Savor God’s goodness as you prepare yourselves for Emmanuel – God with us.  Then we will celebrate, but for now we wait!

Peace, Josie