Advent III

The Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11; Psalm [Luke 1:46-50, 53-54]; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks…”                        

Do you perceive anything wrong with that admonition?

How does a person do anything always, without stopping and in all circumstances?

Paul, you are not a family man, there is laundry to be done, grocery shopping to do, children and a spouse to care for, bills to worry about and… [well, you fill in all the blanks]. We’re feeling frayed, frustrated and frightened. Christmas is coming with all its expectations. We won’t be able to gather as a family. We can’t visit mom in the nursing home. We’re feeling sad, lonely and isolated. And all this in a post 9/11, post George Floyd, polarized world that is experiencing a pandemic. And now Paul, you want me to fit in rejoicing always, praying nonstop and being grateful all the time when I don’t always feel grateful and none of this is easy. Oh, and by the way, “this is the will of God for [me] in Christ Jesus”?

This may be the most unusual Advent of our lives which may mean it might also be the most blessed of Advents. Like breathing, which happens without us consciously thinking about it, as followers of Jesus being filled with delight & gratitude and prayer, is to be our regular state of being. “[T]he will of God for [us].” This is not specifically Advent living but Christian living which hopefully deepens and grows richer within us overflowing into the lives of others. A Christian experience of joy, thanks, and the ability to pray at all times and in all circumstances includes – no, embraces – the pandemic, George Floyd, daily family life and worries, a polarized atmosphere, the emotional remnants of 9/11 and feelings of sadness and isolation…

So much has been written, taught and preached about prayer over the centuries. I have to wonder how much breath, ink and thought have been wasted. Though there is a place for formal, complex, communal prayer, personal prayer is simple. Prayer is putting ourselves in the presence of God and conversing with a friend. This insight is that of a 17th century Benedictine lay brother, Lawrence of the Resurrection. For Lawrence the time of prayer was not different from any other time and therefore the most absorbing work, distracting situation, or daily routine did not divert him from God. And do you know who one of the best examples and teachers of Brother Lawrence’s understanding of prayer is? The Jew, Tevye. Yes, of Fiddler on the Roof fame. Tevye is always talking to God throughout the day. Listen in…

Dear God was that necessary,did you have to make my horse lame just before the Sabbath. That wasn’t nice.It’s enough you pick on me, bless me with five daughters [and no sons], and a life of poverty.That’s alright, but what have you got against my horse?I’m not really complaining after all with your help I’m starving to death.

Straightforward. Conversational. Honest.

Tevye is not afraid to disturb or upset the Almighty. “…with your help I’m starving to death.”

Now Brother Lawrence said that we should speak frankly to God. Tevye speaks very frankly. Are we as straightforward and honest in our prayer with God? Notice we usual say prayer to God. Tevye teaches us prayer is a conversation with God.

Brother Lawrence teaches that we should ask for God’s help in situations as they occur. Tevye talks to God all through the day and about everything that is happening to him from his lame horse to his daughters’ more and more unorthodox marriages.

I know, I know. We are Your chosen people.But, once in a while, can’t You choose someone else?

People often give up praying. I have to think it is because we perceive prayer to be something other than having a straightforward and honest conversation with a friend. If we learn to pray – talk with God in a straightforward and honest manner, yes, we can pray without ceasing because we will have come to understand the central mystery of Christmas, the Incarnation. The Incarnation is our belief that God does not live in a faraway heaven but sits right beside us in all our situations.

So where does that leave us with joy and gratitude. Let us turn to another set of teachers in the spiritual life. In this regard the Whos of Who-ville. Yes, Dr. Seuss’s Who-ville.

If you remember that after the Grinch had taken all the Christmas trimmings from Who-ville, lied to Little Cindy Lou Who and returned to Mount Crumpet, he put his hand to his ear and listened. And a sound arose from the valley.

Fahoo fores, dahoo dores Welcome Christmas, come this way. Fahoo fores, dahoo dores Welcome Christmas, Christmas day. Welcome…Christmas day is in our grasp.

Joy is in our grasp because joy and gratitude can only be received. They are divine gifts of the Spirit. They are not affected or diminished by any hardship, fear or daily situation. You see, Christmas, like life, cannot be stolen or canceled or postponed. Christian joy cannot be rushed, acquired or possessed. It is a way of looking at and experiencing life; like biting into a cold, crisp apple with all of its crunchy sounds ringing in our ears on a brisk sunny day surrounded by bold autumn colours. The Whos teach us that the depth of joy we are seeking in our troubled world – whether we know it or not – will only be found within us. Christian joy is quietly profound with a nuanced touch of reserve. It has a rich depth to it that I suppose only comes with time and a life fully lived, embracing experiences and people. Christian joy and gratitude have no words. They arise from our conversations with our God.

Therefore in this most unusual and possibly most blest of Advents, “Rejoice always.[Receive the gift.] Pray without ceasing. [Talk throughout the day with God, a la Tevye.] In all circumstances give thanks…”