THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 3. 2017

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«Listen, I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will

come in to you and eat with you, and you with

me.» Rev. 3, 20

What you see is determined by where you stand. The story is told of the social worker (well trained, middle class Canadian) who asked a little boy in the city »Whose shack is that? » The little boy fired back, « That’s not a shack, that’s my home! »

Who was in touch with reality?

We want to look at our Adent through the lens of Jesus who is seeking to come into our home (our lives). He knocks at the door. But look closely, there is no door handle on Jesus’ side. The only door handle is on our side.

We are the ones who can let Jesus come into our lives. We are the ones who can refuse Jesus entry.

The door is a moment of decision.

ADVENT 2017I stand at your door knocking

This Advent season we want to see these four weeks through the lens of Jesus seeking to come into our house.

Begin your Advent reflecting on doors.

Every door is functional (it allows traffic to move in and out) but it often is a statement of status. On many upper scale houses the doors are very decorative and made out of some of the finest lumber. It is a statement of wealth and success.

Doors can also be forbidding. The doors on a prison are meant to keep people locked inside and the outsiders have only limited admittance.

Doors keep people out who do not belong (their protective role) and doors welcome friends and family (their role as hospitality).

Use the door in a poetic fashion. You can say that so-and-so has closed the door of their heart. No one is allowed in. No one of the family is welcome to enter the life and heart of this person.

Also, bring back many of your memories of your childhood when you used a door to block the other kids from entering.

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 3. 2017

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JESUS WANTS FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH ONE OF US

This past summer one of our couples invited her aged Mother to come and live with them. The aged woman was having serious difficulties managing on her own. The husband wisely sighed, “This is difficult. She has had a lot of issues throughout her life and is not the easiest person to get along with. But “ he paused to take in a breath, “all she wants as a human being is to be loved and wanted. I have got to see her deeper hungers and try to be patient.”

Our deepest need as a human being is to be wanted. This is more important than being watered and feed. If a baby is not wanted they soon weaken and succumb to infection, and very quickly, to death.

At the very center of our Christian faith is our God who wants to live in friendship with each one of us. We are deeply wanted by God. Even when we do not pay attention to the heart of God, we are still being sought after by God.

This means that in the center of the gangs in our cities (remember that there is often violence

and crime as they fight for control of the illegal drug business) Jesus is there seeking their friendship. No one is excluded.

The hand of Jesus literally knocks on the heart of everyone: the good, the bad and the indifferent. Place yourself along Jesus as he knocks at the heart of the selfish, the miserable and violent people of this world.

Do you remember when you were about twelve or thirteen and your parents were very concerned about who your friends were? Did they ever forbid you to have anything to do with a newly discovered friend?

At thirteen you found this very painful. Who do they think they are? Don’t they trust me to have good judgment?

Our parents were not naïve. They knew that friends influence friends. Friends can bring out the very best in a thirteen year old, or they can lead you into trouble.

Friends make a difference to our lives.

Friends become a part of who we are. This is why we have so many stories to tell about our friends. What we are doing is sharing a good part of who we are as a human person.

If a friend walks away or ‘unfriends’ you, it can be devastating to your thirteen year old life. No one of us ever wants to lose a friend.

Jesus wants to live with us in divine friendship. He wants to become a part of our lives and we of his.

Jesus wants us to share so intently in his life and mission, that we become the living extension of the heart and mercy of God.

If we live into the life of Jesus (as true friends do) we will become like Jesus.

A FRIEND IS ALWAYS A PART OF YOUR VERY LIFE

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THE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR CAN HAPPEN IN DAILY LIFE

Last year when the Church marked the “Year of Mercy” Pope Francis would take one Friday and visit a place of special care for people. He would come unannounced with all the entourage of cameras, security people to visit a senior citizen’s home, a L’Arche community and a neo-natal unit in the hospital.

The people opened the door and guess whose is there?

No one would expect the Pope to drop by for afternoon tea!

This is the message of our first Sunday of Advent. The coming of Jesus will always be a surprise. We are looking at our Advent through the lens of Jesus knocking at the door. This Sunday the knocking is a surprise.

The message from our Gospel reading: Be alert! Be wide awake!

The entire message of the Christian life is that the Holy Spirit is like the wind. The wind always blows where it will. It cannot be controlled.

The Holy Spirit will catch us off guard through the goodness of poor people toward us. It may come through the forgiveness and

healing hand that is offered by your older sister. It may break through the geneousity of the crusty old neighbor who unexpectedly brought an entire hamper of food to the Sunday Mass that will be shared through the food bank.

We can never have God nailed down and be able to predict how God will act.

Perhaps Jesus will knock at your door in the middle of the night when you are short of sleep and under stress.

Take a breath. Be awake!

SURPRISE! GOD IS ALWAYS A SURPRISE!

Many years ago the hymn writer, Carey Landry, wrote a little ditty in the form of a children’s song but it was directed to adults all the way.

The chorus ran, “Surprise, surprise, God is a surprise. A folly to the wise.”

The words were delightful but they carried profound truth. God broke into the life of Moses in the burning bush: surprise! The angel burst into Mary’s life and asked her to be mother: surprise! The disciples were crushed and despondent after the death of Jesus. He was raised from the dead: surprise!

On this first Sunday of Advent, give a few moments to

get in touch at those times in your life when you were surprised by God. When did the Holy Spirit literally break into your life in new and unexpected way.

Perhaps you were very discouraged when your nineteen year old refused to seek help for his drug addiction. He had a very bad car crash and came out of the hospital seeking help. Was this not a surprise to all your prayers seeking help?

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JESUS COMES IN THE UNEXPECTED MOMENTS OF LIFE

When we pray as people who are conscious that Jesus stands outside the door and knocks we have a moment of hesitation. We could just go on with our day and ignore the knocking of Jesus or we could open the door, invite him in, and be prepared for all the consequences.

We want to be prepared for the requests that Jesus might make. He may be moving us to visit our elderly grandfather who in totally non-communicative. He may be urging us to recognize the goodness of our grandfather

even though at the moment he appears to be barely alive.

We might open the door and Jesus is asking us to join the work tomorrow of making peanut butter sandwiches to share with the hungry at the back door of our parish church. And Jesus does not appear to even carethat peanut butter is not my favourite sandwich!

He may only want a little time with me. Maybe he wants this friendship to be shared and enjoyed in this time of prayer?

Jesus does knock. Our task is to hear the knocking and open the door.

What will it mean to your life?

2017 PRAYER AROUND THE ADVENT WREATH

Remember God is always a surprise. No one controls God. God moves where God moves. God is like the Saskatchewan December wind. Look how it moves.

Help us to be wide awake to recognize how you are working in the lives of others.

May we be wide awake to remember how you have brought strength and healing to our lives. May we not forget your work!

May our lives and hearts be like the ears of a young mother towards her young child. She knows when there is pain and suffering. Alert our ears!

May we never be too comfortable and complacent in our religious practice. May our hearts be on alert!

With this first candle we want to be alert to your great desire to live in friendship with us. You want to become a part of our lives. You want our lives to be shaped by your love and mercy. You want goodness to grow within us.