Word to the Wise
Thursday, December 3, 2020 - 1st Week of Advent - Thurs
[Isa 26:1-6 and Matt 7:21, 24-27]"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock....." [Matthew]
DECEMBER 3 ST. FRANCIS XAVIER, SJ
These words of Jesus come at the end of the 'Sermon on the Mount.' That collection of Jesus' teachings is a fundamental catechism of practical Christianity, despite the claims of some that it is impractical to "love one's enemy" and "turn the other cheek, etc." These closing words emphasize "doing" and "listening/acting." Piety is not enough.
Advent is traditionally described as a season of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. However, the preparation tends to be lost in the preparation for the secular observance. That secular observance is often the cause of the terrible depression that many people experience in the "holiday season" because they cannot afford the gift-giving or have experienced a great loss in the past calendar year. A missing face at the celebration is a far worse experience than a missing gift!!
The closing words of the Sermon on the Mount are a call to action. Can Jesus be born in our actions to reach out to our neighbor in this season? The great Dominican mystic, Meister Eckhart, is quoted as saying, "What good is it to me that Christ was born so many years ago if he is not born again in me every day?" Can that nativity scene that has passed the year in a closet or attic turn out to be a mirror? Will our neighbor in need be able to see it reflected in us? AMEN