Can you believe it, Advent starts this weekend and then the steady countdown to Christmas Day. The activity levels seem to increase at the very time when we would hope that they settle down. People probably have already started to make preparations about who they will visit, what they need to buy and who they need to send cards to. There are also the parties we attend, the nativity plays, end of year functions and the carol services which herald the arrival of the day. Yet in the midst of this celebratory feel do we miss something essential?
We are called to witness to the person of Christ not only in what we buy and how we celebrate but more importantly by how we seek to live. The presence of Christ is a disruption to the normal events of the year not just because it allows for a rest from our daily work. Christ seeks to enter into our lives and see them as God sees them. This season is not just centered on what we want but on what God desires for us. This means that in this time of preparation we take times to pause and see what God wishes to speak to our hearts. To find a moment on each day to quieten our quickening, to still our activity and to find what truly brings meaning and hope to our lives.
This listening allows our hearts to be softened from the daily cycle of news that seeks to deaden us and desensitize us to the reality of God. To see beyond the trimmings and discover a life which is joyful for more than one day. To discover how we are called to be good news to our world and not just for ourselves. It calls for our lives not to become privatized and shrunk to our own vision but expanded to encompass the vision which sees each person as created in the image and likeness of God. This is not just about changing our thinking but living in a way which reflects the profound gift of Christ for our world.
This stewardship of the gifts entrusted to us helps us to reflect on how our lives are called to be ones of faith, hope and charity. This comes from a relationship with Christ who seeks to open our hearts, our minds and our hands to those in greatest need. Not just to share what we have left over but to recognize in them the person of Christ who beckons us to welcome them with a generosity that ennobles their spirit. To serve the poor not just because they are poor but because they are children of God who deserve dignity and respect.
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