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Wax and Wane
This is a summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily delivered at St. Charles on November 30, 2003
"ON EARTH will be dismay." Luke 21:25
On my First Friday Calls I visit with Miriam, who is close to a hundred. I have to listen close to hear her soft voice. I ask her, "How are you?" She invariably whispers, "Waiting for God." This could be misunderstood as saying that she was giving up. On the contrary, I hear her affirming her faith and hope that God will be there at the end of her journey. She would not mind if he came sooner rather than later.
As I look around the congregation I could be forgiven for thinking that we cannot wait! Red clothes far out number the few liturgically correct parishioners, who wear purple! Have you noticed the decorations and carols in the stores before Thanksgiving? Our society cannot wait. Yet our church calls us to four weeks of waiting and preparation for the coming of the Light.
Today's Gospel is not what we would expect for the holiday season. It gives no indication of the light and joy of the coming Lord. This first Sunday of Advent presents a bleak view of cosmic disasters afflicting the planet. The apocalyptic vision of the last days presents a crisis. Advent 2003 finds the world in a similar condition of threat, terror and violence.
The hope we celebrate is not a magical world of escape from the harsh realities. Christian hope gives us the courage to light a candle as we prepare in the darkness. Like Miriam we are challenged to believe that at the end is not death or annihilation. With her let us wait for God.