Waiting in hurry!

Well-known preacher and writer Norman Vincent Peale tells us of his life experience. When he was young he was walking down the street with his father who himself was a pastor, they confronted a beggar who was dirty and smelling. He came to Norman and touched his hand and asked for some money for food. Norman seeing the man dirty and poorly dressed in tattered clothes recoiled and brushed him aside. His father told him that he must respect the man and not behave in this way. The boy replied that after all he was worthless and dirty, and he could do nothing more. His father told him that in this world there is no one worthless for all are the children of God. Then he took out one dollar, all he could afford and gave to the boy and said give to that man and tells him that it is in the name of Jesus he is giving this gift. Norman refused at first but on his father’s insistence he ran after the man and gave him saying this amount he is giving in the name of Jesus. The man looked at him and gave him a big smile and said: I thank you, my son, in the name of Jesus. Norman says that in this genuine smile of the man who looked worthless he found the real face of Jesus which he never forgot in his life.

Today we begin the season of Advent. Advent means waiting or coming and we wait for the coming of someone we love. During this season we focus on waiting for the Lord, waiting for the coming of Jesus. We have the three-fold waiting. We know that Jesus has already come in history and we remember that during the week before Christmas our waiting changes to waiting for our celebration of the birth of Jesus. We also wait for his final coming at the end times when he will take all to himself. We also experience his daily coming into our life through the Eucharist, word of God and in the various persons and events of life. Waiting is something very important in the life of the human person. Anytime we wait we do so because we expect something to happen or someone to come. In our daily routine of life, we wait for something to take place, maybe we wait for a friend, for a bus or train, and there is the eagerness within us that makes us look forward to something new that will take place. During Advent we look forward to Jesus who will come in a total gesture of love: God becomes a man. Today’s readings assure us that the Lord is coming. But an individual must be alert and must be on watch. The first two readings of this liturgical year bring us face to face with a God who is Father and with the reality of our own sinfulness before him. We have wandered away from him, but he is faithful and has sent his own Son to free us from our blame. Prophet Isaiah makes a prayer of yearning asking God to come and save us from sin. Paul in the second reading stresses on the fidelity asking people to remain faithful to Jesus to the end. The Gospel of Mark invites all to a spiritual vigilance. He tells us all to be ever alert so that the coming of the Son does not find us unprepared for no one knows the day or hour of his coming.

On the First Sunday in Advent, I would like us to ponder and wish for the virtue of patience. I would like to narrate a simple example; if you are caught in the traffic and especially during the rush hours, you will know what I am going to share. There is a tendency to be reckless and impatient on the wheel whilst one is running late for an event. I have experienced impatience myself whilst on the wheel and on rare occasions I have honked at someone. But, later when I think about it, I feel how narrow-minded am I to do such thing. Basically, I must be extra patient especially if there are new drivers on the road. I am asking for the grace of patience on this Sunday in Advent. Our world is moving rapidly, and we are forced to rush to catch up with the rapidity of the world. If we don’t move rapidly, we would have lost so much. But do we really lose if we don’t move rapidly according to the rapidity of the world? There are myriad answers to this based each one’s charisma and blessings. Only one thing is significant to ponder when one moves rapidly to catch up with the world must not be a hurdle or a nuisance for the others. It is important to be patient if our speed involves others. In hurry, we might forget important people and things in life. We might even hurt someone in a hurry. Let us remember the traffic rules for life too; we wait on the red and we ready ourselves to move on amber and of course on the green, we move. In all this let us have patience so that we have time to look around us. When we look around and listen, we will see the beauty of each person, beauty of nature and certainly, the joy will be ours. Patience is the mantra for this week. We wait but in hurry, let us change that into wait but in patience.

Jesuit paleontologist and theologian, Teilhard de Chardin writes, "trust in the slow work of God. Humans are naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay." Patience is truly a spiritual gift from God which helps us to fight frustration and restlessness. Patience helps us to wait, watch and know when to act so that our actions are truly noble and lasting. It is imperative to be patient in order to achieve lasting fruits. Patience helps us to discern and decide and dedicate. Patience could be boring and neverending but we can make it interesting and fruitful. Therefore, it depends entirely on each one of us to be in the state of active patience. In other words, a hopeful patience because it is in hope that our waiting becomes meaningful. I wish you a Patient Advent.