December 4, 2019 “Patience is a virtue,” the diocesan chancellor, Deacon James Crowley, has reminded me on more than one occasion. My usual response: “I never claimed to be virtuous.” I’m not a patient person. I know this. I won’t order a package from Amazon unless it’s Prime-eligible and will arrive at my doorstep in two days. I get irritated if I leave someone a message and don’t hear back in what I consider a timely fashion. I go insane when my son is moving at what I refer to as “the pace of snail” when he gets ready to go somewhere with me. Because I’m so impatient, Advent is good for me. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that John the Baptist was the precursor to Jesus and pointed Jesus out as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The Catechism then notes: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor's birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’” That section struck me for two reasons. First, it notes it was a “long preparation for the Savior’s first coming.” Jesus wasn’t delivered by Amazon Prime in two days. Though His coming was foretold, the people of God waited generation upon generation for the birth of the Messiah. It’s a good reminder to me that there are graces to be found in the waiting and preparation, and the waiting and preparation make the celebration that much more joyous. Similarly, John the Baptist’s assertion that “He must increase, but I must decrease” also struck me. I’m quite confident I’m not the only one who needs to be reminded sometimes that life, including the spiritual life, is not all about me and what I want. God works in His way and His time, even sometimes what seems like the “pace of snail.” This Advent, I pray we all find the graces we need as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, even if we do so rather impatiently. |
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