不良研究所

One of my favorite images regarding the spirit of Advent is “standing on tiptoe.” I got this image while reading Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB’s book, Seasons of Your Heart. “In spite of all the brokenness of our lives, we are still standing on tiptoe,” Sr. Macrina writes, “waiting for the glorious freedom promised us as children of God. This confident waiting is called hope, and our lives are empty without it.”

During the next four weeks, from November 30th and until Christmas Eve (December 24th), while the rest of the world rushes to-and-fro, busy with the demands of the secular holiday season, we will be invited again and again to wait, to be still, and to hope. As we unpack our Advent wreath this year, still buzzing from the glow of Thanksgiving, Advent will find a way to surprise us, if we allow ourselves to wait, to be still, and to hope.

On the first Sunday of Advent, we will light the first (purple) candle on our Advent wreath. This candle is often called the “Prophet’s Candle” or the “Candle of Hope” because it symbolizes the hope of the people of Israel who waited for the Messiah and the Christian hope for Christ’s return. For what do you hope this year?

On the second Sunday of Advent, we will light the second (purple) candle on our Advent wreath. This candle is often called the “Bethlehem Candle” or the “Candle of Peace” because it symbolizes the peace that Christ brings to the world. With what or with whom do you need to make peace this year?

On the third Sunday of Advent (traditionally known as Gaudete–Rejoice–Sunday) we will light the third (pink or rose) candle on our Advent wreath. This candle is often called the “Shepard’s Candle” or the “Joy Candle” because it symbolizes the joy that the birth of the Son of God, the Incarnate Word, will bring into the world. In what or in whom do you rejoice this year?

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will light the fourth (purple) candle on our Advent wreath. This candle is known as the “Angel’s Candle” or the “Candle of Love” because it symbolizes the love that God has for humanity and the love that Christians are called to share with others. To whom do you need to express your love this year?

And on Christmas Day, we will light many white candles, symbolizing the fulfillment of our faith, the realization of our hope, and the call that the birth of the Son of God makes on all of us to love as Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, loved. Ready to receive Jesus on your tiptoes?

When I was young, I was fixated on the “up” side of Advent, expressly, the candles and feast day pastries, the calendars with doors that hide little surprises, the trees with twinkling lights. But as I have matured, I have developed an “Advent Mentality.”

My Advent mentality recognizes the fleetingness of this world and the ways we can miss out on the main event if we do not (or will not) take time to wait, sit in silent stillness with God, and hope.

I know now that waiting can only be possible if we know for what (or even better, for whom) we are waiting. As the season of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ and the memorial of his coming to us on the flesh, Advent is the season of waiting for the Baby Jesus and for the Triumphant King who will right all wrongs and separate the sheep from the goats (Mt. 25:31-46).

I also realize that sitting in stillness can seem daunting—especially for the extroverts among us! However, sitting in physical stillness is one of the most action-oriented activities in which one can engage. Coupled with waiting for Jesus to come, sitting in stillness is the excited anticipation, the getting ready internally, the “I cannot wait any longer” that a small sister or brother experiences as she or he awaits the birth of a new member of the family. 

Finally, I understand now that hope is the secret ingredient, the “glue,” because we wait in hope andwe sit still in hopeful anticipation (standing on our tiptoes), “in spite of all the brokenness of our lives.” In other words, waiting in hope and sitting in hopeful anticipation is hard but in our present day and age, when there seems to be so much brokenness around us, these actions are the only way through which we will be able to both rapturously glimpse at the newly born baby and witness in awe the arrival of our Risen Lord and King, the one who will right all wrongs and lead us to the fulfillment of all our hopes. So, as hard and uncomfortable as it might be to wait in hopeful anticipation, it will be worth the pain.

For all these reasons, this Advent season I would like to invite all of us to wait in hope instead of join in the frenzy of the weeks ahead. I encourage everyone to create a space in our mind, heart, and time where we can sit still in hopeful anticipation and stand on our tiptoes, peering over the edge of time. While there, I invite all of us to look to the past and be amazed at the Incarnate Word’s birth and then look to the future and stand in awe at the return of the Incarnate Word of God, coming back triumphant in his glory and ready to call us by name to receive our reward. 

As we stand on our tiptoes this Advent, let us bring to mind the words of Henri Nouwen:

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness,

send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day,

We who are anxious over many things, look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways, long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy, seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”

Amen!

Happy Advent, everyone!

Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI

VP of Mission and Ministry