By Msgr. Joseph P. Calise
Depending on your point of view, I was either unfortunate to not have been part of any of the activities during the New York portion of Pope Francis’ recent visit to the U.S., or blessed that during those days I was able to direct a retreat in Venice, Florida for a group of men in recovery.
Personally, I think the Holy Father would agree I made the right choice. Nonetheless, I was able to watch some of the visit on television and admit to being quite touched by the ceremony and the Holy Father’s words at Ground Zero.
Watching the crowds form at Central Park brought back a lot of memories. When I was a sixth grader at St. Sylvester’s on Grant Avenue in City Line, all of us in the school were lined up and walked a few blocks to Conduit Blvd. We waited for hours – or at least so it seemed – but finally the sisters who were watching each class began to call our attention to the road. The waiting was worth it when we got the chance to wave to Pope Paul VI as his motorcade passed en route to his historic speech at the United Nations.
Joy of Being Welcomed
I had the opportunity to wait for him once again 11 years later. I was newly arrived at the North American College in Rome and we were informed that Pope Paul had granted the American College a private audience in honor of the United States’ bicentennial. We lined up in the colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica adjacent to the papal apartment. At the precise moment expected, one of the Swiss guards called everyone to follow him into a meeting hall and there we sat filled with anticipation until the moment we were told that the Holy Father was on his way. When that moment came, the doors were opened, everyone was called to stand and the guards entered the room followed by Pope Paul VI. I still remember the excitement and the joy as we welcomed him welcoming us!
Sadly, all waiting is not so joyous. I remember well visiting my mother at her bedside in hospice and going home each night waiting for the phone call to tell me her suffering was over. How long some of those hours felt!
Or, there is the example of waiting for the dentist’s drill to touch its target or for results to come back from a medical test. Yet, there is also the anticipation of waiting for a baby to be born or a holiday to come. Waiting for a report card could elicit many different waiting experiences.
Nearness of The Lord
Today’s Scripture readings speak of the coming of the Promised One. Zephaniah heralds it as quite a joyous occasion, calling everyone to “Shout for joy!” St. Paul, in this section from his Letter to the Philippians, calls his flock to “Rejoice” because of the nearness of the Lord.
But in the Gospel, St. Luke puts the brakes on the celebration just a bit. He does not dampen the joy but cautions his listeners to be sure that we are ready. St. John the Baptist speaks with his typical sense of urgency. “Prepare ye the Way of the Lord” becomes “I am not He but He is coming.”
His message to each group that approaches him is quite specific. As disciples, tax collectors and soldiers approach, he tells them not how to feel at the coming of the Promised One, but rather what each must do to be prepared for the coming of the Expected One. Whether we see it as a message to a past generation, an encouragement to consider the second coming or a reminder that Christmas is not far away, the call is to do what we need to do in order to share in the joy.
Anxiety or Excitement
Waiting for the arrival of a blind date causes anxiety and the arrival, at times, disappointment. Waiting for the return of a loved one from military service causes excitement and the arrival brings great joy. The difference is in the preexistence of a love relationship.
Advent is an opportunity to evaluate our love relationship with Christ as preparation for the holy days that are near as well as the eventual meeting with Him face to face. This is our opportunity to go beyond the tinsel and glitter and make time for prayer and meditation, works of mercy and reconciliation. This is our time to ready ourselves through the communal celebration of Christ already present in the Eucharist.
“Merry Christmas,” at its most fundamental level, is a wish that the coming of Christ – in the moment and at the end times – will be a cause of great joy. That joy is not dependent upon His coming, but rather upon the preparation that has taken place to establish a relationship of love with the One whom we await.
Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent
Zephaniah 3:14-18A
Isaiah 12: 2-3, 4, 5-6
Philippians 4: 4-7
Luke 3: 10-18
Msgr. Joseph P. Calise is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, Williamsburg.