Stay awake

Since taking up the gym a few years ago, I look forward to the summery, warm days, when I can walk with my son’s dog for that extra bit of exercise, consider the possibility of taking a dip in the coolness of Bass Strait, and hopefully lose my winter extra before the start of yet another year.

On the northern part of the globe, preparations for winter are being made. The Advent they await leads into the chilliest time of the year. At the other end of the world, the same Advent season breaks into summer.

The word adventus is the Latin translation of the word parousia, yet another word which describes the second coming of the Lord. Thus we await in anticipation of both the birth of Lord and his second coming.

Gift buying, pudding making, tree hunting, holiday planning, lunch arrangements, family travel, are significant parts of the agenda for this time of the year. We have made it busy.

The Gospel in the new liturgical cycle that begins this week is Luke. Luke writes to a gentile audience and brings new colour to the Jesus story, providing an original infancy narrative, expanding on the role of women and new perspectives on the resurrection. Yet the reading that begins our Advent (21:25 – 28, 34 – 36) comes from Luke’s apocalyptic passage. Here Jesus teaches his disciples about the signs of their coming liberation. They must ‘stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

We must keep our eye on the ball, for the focus of Advent is the person and mission of Jesus. The incidentals that make up our preparation for Christmas are not unimportant, but if we wish to ‘stand up with confidence before the Son of Man’ then our preparation must include our own attentiveness and prayer.

We might also choose to be fitter, thinner, more sociable beings, and there is no reason why this preparation for a healthy lifestyle should not parallel our internal preparation to that great feast of the Nativity of the Lord.

The Church is not only a grand institution, it is also a rich resource in assisting you to grow into your relationship with our God. Advent is as opportune a time as any to seek guidance. Come, worship and stand with confidence.