Homily First Sunday of Advent (2020) “All Is Well”
Homily First Sunday of Advent (2020) “All Is Well”
Watchmen are mentioned in the Bible many times. In today’s Gospel Jesus talks about faithful servants who are prepared, even at the second or third watch, which would mean those that were prepared even in the middle of the night when only watchmen were awake.
Watchmen could be found in Biblical times in a variety of places. You had sentries at a military encampment. Soldiers would be at the edge of the camp. Such men would be on the alert in case there was a surprise attack. It was customary for the sentries to cry out at certain hours, “All is well.” Probably this was a way for them to report in. The rest of the camp would know someone was keeping them safe.
Another circumstance when we hear watchman in scripture is during the grape harvest. Watch towers would be built at the edge of the vineyard. The fear was that thieves would come in to steal the valuable crop. Also, wild animals could come and eat the grapes. If watchman were on duty, this wouldn’t happen.
The most prominent place that watchmen could be found in ancient times was on the city walls of Jerusalem. Turrets were located at various places. Men would peer into the darkness to make sure that enemies were not approaching the city. Sentries would also keep an eye out for fires which could be terribly destructive in an ancient city with so many people packed together in flammable dwellings.
The watchmen could also serve as town criers. If there was some news that needed to be spread, they would inform the city. Before there was the internet there were watchman who called out from the city walls. Watching for danger was important in the ancient world.
The Advent Season begins today. Advent is all about watching and waiting. We are waiting for the coming of Jesus. He came to us in history. He will come to us at the end of time. But perhaps we need to be most alert when he comes to us in the daily circumstances of life. We don’t want to be like a watchman who falls asleep on duty.
In London, in medieval times, night watchmen had a terrible reputation. The job was considered one of the worst a person could have. The pay was low, the hours were terrible. The city watchman were often older people who couldn’t see very well nor hear very well. Such people were the butt of jokes because they weren’t as observant as they should have been.
We can be like that. We can be oblivious to how God is working all around us. Jesus is constantly touching our lives, but we might not see, might not hear.
Advent, this year is especially full of waiting, and watching. The COVID pandemic is dangerous and we watch for the latest news. What are people waiting for? We think of our loved ones who are waiting for the results of a COVID test. Maybe we have done that too. The outcome of a test may take 24 hours but then again it can take days. As we wait, we do so in fear.
We also remember our health care workers who wait for the next surge in cases. Maybe they look forward to receiving personal protective equipment which seems to always run out. Also, they wait for a vaccine that may bring an end to the crisis they are living through.
We all wait for that time when we can gather with family without fear. We wait for the time when we can visit our sick loved ones. We anticipate that moment when we can invite friends back into our homes. We have so many things we miss.
In all this watching and waiting there are spiritual lessons that we can learn. Perhaps they are the lessons that we should have come to understand during the many Advents of the past.
We are learning about patience. We can’t have everything instantaneously. We are learning about humility. We are not in control. We may have thought a plague was something other nations experienced, not ours. We have been taught that a virus can bring our world to a screeching halt. Do we simply complain, or do we use this time to grow in wisdom, virtue and grace? We have people waiting with anger and suspicion. And we have people waiting with charity and worry for others. Which camp are we in? We need to peer into the darkness of the present moment, like the sentinel on the city wall. What is most important to see. We must look for truth, goodness, and righteousness. Maybe this Advent can be the most meaningful of our lives. If we just look and see.
Reflection Questions:
- How do I feel about the arrival of Advent? Do I mourn familiar things like holiday parties and shopping?
- How might Jesus look at the things that I am sorrowful about? Would he place the same value on them?
Dear Parishioners,
As we enter the Advent season, we might ask how we can gain from this season spiritually. We might not be able to do some of the things we normally have done. There are several things that we are trying to provide at Sacred Heart to offer some spiritual nourishment.
On Wednesdays of Advent Fr. Matthew or myself will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation in church. We will try to provide for our safety and yours. If you come to Reconciliation, we would ask that you keep social distance, wear masks and sanitize your hands when you come in.
On the next three Sundays we will have special prayer services on Sunday afternoon. These will be different from the past as there will be little congregational singing. They will be simple and short, but hopefully will be meaningful and give us some sense of normalcy. Fr. Matthew will offer a brief reflection next week.
We will also provide an online series this Advent on three Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. These will start on the evening of December 8th. I will provide some catechesis on the Sacrament of Reconciliation and try to answer questions people may have. These sessions will be live on Facebook. The first night will be on the History of Reconciliation.
This is a challenging time for us all. Hopefully, we can have a sense of church community even in these difficult days.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark