This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
As Christmas becomes imminent, what are our expectations for it? What are we hoping for this Christmas?
Advent is so strange. It commemorates an expectant waiting from long ago for the coming of the Savior, and it reflects a deep yearning for His return that we have no reason believe is occurring on December 25th of this year. The high expectancy of Advent seems caught between a past event and a future event of undetermined date, and seems, at first glance, not to have a particularly tangible relevancy to the present.
How different for the deeply contemplative soul. Such a soul has experienced God, has tasted Him, and has experienced how inexpressibly enriching growth in one’s relationship with Him is. But such a soul is also constantly in contact with its own misery, borne down upon by its circumstances in this broken world, as well as its own limitations and sins.
For such a soul, the expectation of Christmas can rival the expectation of Israel for the first Christmas, and can rival the most tangible ache for the Lord’s Second Coming. For the contemplative soul knows from experience that Jesus can make Himself mystically present in its life in such a palpable, real, grace-showering way, that the soul feels no envy of St. Joseph holding the baby Jesus in the manger, or of St. John beholding Christ’s victory as he wrote the Book of Revelation.
For such a soul, readings like today’s first reading resonate so deeply. This is how the soul desires to encounter the Lord at Christmas. For such a soul, today’s gospel likewise resonates: The soul longs for Christmas to bring an even more tangible sense of calling, mission, purpose, and dignity to its life, as was the case for Mary when she became the Mother of Jesus.
For the contemplative soul, the impact of Christ’s renewed presence at Christmas can be an eminently present-day event.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: As Advent comes to a close, express to Jesus like never before your longing for His invasion of your life, as He invaded history around the year zero. Let Him know of your longing and ask Him to burst in this Christmas. Don’t hold back.
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