Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent
Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming… What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mk 13:33-37)
To begin this Advent season, Jesus offers a one-word command in the gospel: watch. It begs the question, “What exactly am I supposed to be watching for?”
Jesus illustrates this enigmatic command with the parable of a man going on a journey and leaving his servants in charge. Each has his own assignment, but the gatekeeper is given the preeminent task of watching. The master will one day return, and the servants don’t know when. Woe to those whom the master finds sleeping upon his return.
So if I am the gatekeeper in this parable, my assigned duty is to watch. What exactly am I supposed to be watching for? The master’s return.
Advent is a season of watching. It is a time to hear anew the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah: “I am doing something new! Do you not perceive it? (Is 43:19)
Advent has three themes, directions toward which to direct the gaze. First, Advent is a time to ponder the significance of the first coming of Jesus and watch the fields like the shepherds or the stars like the Magi. Advent is also a time to watch the signs the second coming of Jesus in glory to set all things right at some future undisclosed time and hour.
Most importantly, Advent is a time to watch for the coming of Jesus into our hearts. In my morning prayer I sit on my dock and gaze across the water toward the rising of the sun. I ponder the word, “Watch”. I ask the question, “What is it like to have Jesus come into my heart?” The hour is early, so I don’t hear any traffic on the nearby road, just a little birdsong. The sky is cloudy so I don’t see any hint of a sunrise, just a gradual lightening of the colorless winter haze.
This morning, Jesus comes to me not riding on the clouds or with a trumpet blast, but instead visits me in the still, gray morning silence.
As I watch, my mind is initially filled with some of the usual morning turbulence – snippet of dreams coming back to life or impressions from past conversations haunting my present awareness. Some beg me to seek a deeper significance of these events. Others try to ignite my ego into self-righteous indignation, easy to do in the early morning fog. In the stillness and the silence, however, the Lord comes, gently pushing aside these unhealthy thoughts and opens a pathway to light and life. The images begin to take shape and provide some perspective and guidance for me and my actions during the day.
Without spending the time watching, the deeper significance of the moment would be lost. I would not receive the message. I would miss coming of the Lord.
“What I say to you, I say to all: watch!” This morning, and every morning, try to be a faithful gatekeeper. Keep your eyes searching for the coming of the Master into your heart.