Make Ready the World, Our Savior Comes
It is not easy to wait. How much I was reminded of this a week ago, when I sat with some senior high school students from York High School. Some of them were our parishioners, some were not. We were talking about behaviors of teens their age today. They told me that they think that 80% of seniors in high school today are sexually active. I do not know how exact their estimate is but certainly, these figures have been high for several generations.
None of us likes to wait for much of anything. But I'd like to use this example of teenagers and sexuality, as unconventional as it may seem, to begin our Advent reflection. For their desire reflects much of what we hope for in this season. We all want an intimate relationship with someone who will love us unconditionally. We all have within us (perhaps in teenagers the strongest), God-given passions and energies that must be channeled somewhere. With loving guidance and serious self-discipline, these energies can be directed into creative work or recreational activity; they are ultimately intended to direct us to a loving relationship in marriage or with God in celibate life.
While waiting is hard enough, waiting while filled with desire is harder still. Yet, for many good reasons, both spiritual and physical, we expect this and want this for our teenagers. Those of us who have lived long enough know both the ecstasies and limitations of physical love. But we sometimes can forget the intensity of desire that is felt by young people, even if they cannot recognize what is happening within themselves. In the context of Advent, it is good to be reminded of this kind of desire, because it is close to what the people of Israel felt while waiting for the Messiah.
If we are not able to wait with desire, we will allow it to lead us into temptation, into immediate gratification. If we are unable to wait, we can become unable to even recognize the one we are waiting for. When human beings use one another to fulfill their desires, all become devalued; lost is any kind of special meaning in union. When human beings seek to fulfill all their desire in material ways, we become less sensitive to discovering the One who desires us with a holy passion, the One who created us, the One who loves us for who we are.
It seems to me that it is only if we can remember and understand the fresh and passionate desire of the young that we can really know what holy waiting really entails. It means not being focused on immediate gratification. (How many of us already have our Christmas lists ready?). It means taking time to reflect upon our desire and its deepest meaning. It means being patient with everything until it is the right time, God's time. It means letting go of our expectations and waiting to see what God has planned for us. (Think of the Israelites, who waited for the Messiah they expected to be a king, never expecting that he would come as a baby.)
If it serves us well for the life of these teenagers to renew and rejuvenate our spirits as we begin this Advent, the news of how many teens are not waiting is disturbing. This, too, deserves our attention during Advent. Christ came into the world to make all things new, to shine light into the darkness, to show the world God's love, and to bring peace. We need to look into the dark corners of our world and work to bring more light where it is needed: in our families, in our workplaces, and in our world.
Our parish Advent theme this year is, "Make Ready the World, Our Savior Comes." Advent is about more than making ourselves ready; it is about making the world ready. Christmas shopping, making cookies, and going to parties are all wonderful things to do during this time of year. The greatest gifts we can give, however, are those things which really make a difference in life. Teaching our children and being there to love and support them. Giving young people guidance. Modeling as adults what it means to make good decisions that take the lives of others into account. Sharing what we have with others. Caring about those who are lost and helping them to find their way back. Giving someone a second chance. Changing our ways. Forgiving. Reconciling. Starting over and making things new. Happy Advent, everyone.
Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
A Vocation View Make your decision to follow Jesus during THIS Advent Season. Delaying until "one" of these days is "none" of these days. Follow now.