Today,
in this first Sunday of Advent, the Church begins a new liturgic
year. We are, therefore, entering some very especial days of
foretaste, renewal and readying.
Jesus
warns us that «you don't know when the time will come»
(Mk 13:33). Yes, in our life there will be a decisive moment.
But, when will it be? We do not know. The Lord did not even want to
reveal us when the time would come for the end of the world.
So,
all this takes us towards an attitude of exasperation and
conscientiouness: «If He comes suddenly, do not let him catch
you asleep» (Mk 13:36). Time in this life is time of
deliverance, of maturing our capacity to love; it is not a time of
diversion. It is a time of “betrothal”, of preparation
for our “wedding” time in afterlife, in communion with
God and all the saints.
Yet,
life is but a constant starting and restarting. The fact remains that
we have to go through some definitive moments: perhaps, every day,
every hour and every minute may become a crucial moment. Many or a
few, but —in short— days, hours and minutes: it is here,
on a concrete time, when the Lord is waiting for us. «In our
life, in the life of Christians, our first conversion —that
unique moment which each of us remembers, when we clearly understood
everything the Lord was asking of us— is certainly very
significant. But the later conversions are even more important, and
they are increasingly demanding» (St. Josemaria).
In this liturgical time
we are to get ready for the great “advent”: the coming of
Our Master. “Christmas”, “Nativitas”: it
would be great if each day of our existence could be a “nativity”
to a life of love! Perhaps, making of our life a permanent “Nativity”
might be the best way to stay awake. Saint Mary, Our Mother, watch
over us!
