Thursday of the Third Week of Advent
Take a moment to remember the instants of your life that were filled with the joy and glee we see in today’s readings. The potential of a first date, an acceptance letter to college, a team victory, marriage or birth of a child, a promotion or first big assignment at work… It’s good to remember these moments from time to time. Most of them are forward-looking; the potential of what could come is what makes us so excited to be at the beginning. Later, when we’ve received (in part or in full) what we yearned for, it’s not as exciting; but it can be far more satisfying. Isn’t our life of faith the same way?
Occasionally I hear an evangelist using lover-language similar to our first reading. Sometimes there’s the exhortation to love God like a young lover, crazy and head-over-heals. With respect to those who preach the message, I think way of loving really only makes sense to new believers. It is “jump for joy” good when we first begin our relationship with God, or when a conversion opens us up to the divine possibilities! John didn’t keep leaping forever; he had to grow and prophesy and prepare the way. As potential turns into reality, our joy turns into a peaceful satisfaction. That’s good and healthy. It happens with everything else in life: after a few years of classes, we’re not dancing at our favorite college. After a few years of diapers, no one is beaming because their child simply ‘is.’
That’s why remembering is so important. Sometimes we need to remember how happy we were when we really knew in our hearts for the first time how much God loves us. It’s just like we need to remember the zing of that first kiss, or the elation of holding a newborn, or the hope in breaking ground on a big project. While we are in the day-to-day, let’s remember how happy we were to initially be inducted into the daily life of discipleship. It’s okay if you don’t feel that way now; in fact it’s probably healthy. What’s important is that we ponder in our hearts the goodness of all this: of Jesus coming into our lives this Christmas. When we started, it was worth dancing, singing, poetry, leaping! Now that we are ‘living the dream,’ may we ponder the peace of Christ working in our hearts to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Amen!
- Chris Nieport