First Sunday of Advent: Going Home
Ironically, we begin Advent by focusing on the end—the Second Coming of Jesus. In a couple weeks, we’ll shift to his first coming as an infant, but for now, we focus on his coming at the end of days. As Catholics, we don’t tend to focus as much on that as some other Christians do, or try to guess the date, mostly because we believe our primary focus should be spent on trying to live as Jesus calls us to, in the here and now. But Advent reminds us that there will indeed be an end of times, a Second Coming—the Parousia, as it’s called.
So, are the end times something we should happily anticipate, or are they cause for fear? It depends on the person, much like at the end of the fall semester: those who have been keeping up with the assignments and coming to class are likely relieved by the semester’s end, but those who don’t, likely feel as sense of panic.
And of his return, Jesus, in today’s Gospel says, Be watchful! Be alert!...you won’t know when I’m going to return, so be ready. A person might reasonably ask: Why does God feel the need to surprise us? It feels like walking through a darkened house, from room to room, knowing that from behind some corner or doorway, someone is going to suddenly jump out. Is he just trying to stress us out?
To answer that, I’ll remind you of a couple weeks ago, speaking about the Parable of the Ten Virgins, I mentioned that we have our lifetime to get our lives in order, to become who Jesus called us to be. Our bodily death ends that phase of the work. So, what if we don’t become who Jesus called us to be? Then what? Well, if some part of our divided hearts truly desired for ourselves what he wanted for us, in purgatory we’ll finish the work. On the other side of death, we’ll do what was left incomplete on this side.
But today’s Gospel, and the teaching about Jesus’ Second Coming, tell us that some will not have reached the end of the natural course of earthly life, when he returns. For them, earthly life will be interrupted.
Whether we die before or are here when he returns, the principle is the same: we either do the work of converting our hearts here, or we’ll have to do it later. That’s worth hearing for the procrastinators among us—those who live by the motto, “Why burden yourself today, with what you can put-off until tomorrow”. And with the safety net of purgatory, we might think, Why? I’ll just do the work later”.
Here’s why the “burden” is worth it: As C.S. Lewis once said, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." It’s true. We are only pilgrims in this life, journeying toward our true home, the state of living for which our hearts were made.
So, why would you intentionally delay going home?....like the comfort of being in your own bed, being served your comfort foods, your favorite slippers…. Again, failing to live as Jesus calls us to, and finishing the work in purgatory delays our homecoming. Therein lies our reason for doing the work here and now. Let us be ready for it. And along with any spiritual procrastination, let us stop deluding ourselves into believing that this world, this phase of life, is where our happiness lies.
In this Season of Advent, what do you need to work on, to be ready to go home?
Maybe it’s the loss of hope that has overwhelmed me over this past year;
Maybe it’s that my prayer life and time I spend with Jesus—time that helps me to recharge, regain perspective, to know myself—it’s been scattered and piecemeal
Maybe it’s the principle relationships in my life that I’ve taken for granted;
Maybe it’s an unhealthy way of feeding my bodily appetites, that I hide from others, some source of satisfaction that keep falling into or even justifying, that in my heart, I know our Lord is trying to liberate me from.
Whatever it is, have a plan for Advent, and give yourself some quiet to work on it. Even as we pray “Thy kingdom come”, we don’t know when Jesus will come back, but let us not delay our journey home. May we live like Jesus this life and this world, authentically and joyfully, but be ready to go home.