Ready For Him

A Reflection on the Gospel for November 28th, 2021:
First Sunday of Advent

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Luke
21.25-28, 34-36

Jesus spoke to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

“Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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When I was thirteen, I decided to take the teaching of putting others before myself to heart and, privately, made a vow to be intentional about it for an entire year. And I did. So much so, that by the end of it, I had won a special award at school related to service.

To this day, I still remember holding that award, and being struck by the contrast between other people’s experience of my conduct, and what I was experiencing inside. As it turned out, that year was one of the most miserable of my life and gazing at the award, I remember thinking, “If this is what I get for all that I’ve done, then I don’t want to do this anymore.”

After that, my attention slowly drifted from the Lord. I did a lot of things that I won’t even try to defend, but God, in His mercy, was still good to me. His attention to me never wavered, and I don’t think He missed a single opportunity to help me grow and teach me lessons that I would never have learned if I’d insisted on stubbornly clinging to Him for appearance’s sake. Lessons like: there are ways of serving others that don’t require me to compromise my personal boundaries and self-respect. Eventually, when I was finally ready, He brought me whole-heartedly to the Church.

Reflecting on Christ’s words in this Sunday’s gospel, I was reminded of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and my own stumbling experiences. Undoubtedly, the ‘dissipation and drunkenness’ that Luke describes here, relates to a life lived in the absence of God, but as the faithful, we are still prone to experiencing it. It’s important to guard ourselves against the temptation to believe that just because we’re physically close to Him, that means we’re spiritually close to Him, too. As the parable clearly illustrates, our entry into the Kingdom of God doesn’t depend on the length or magnitude of our service but on the posture of our hearts. Our works are meant to be the means by which we come to better know and love Him; not the currency we use to earn our way into our Father’s house.

If our actions aren’t helping to draw us closer to God, then we are very much at risk of being utterly asleep. As a faith-filled community, we have a duty to remain alert for His return, and to support our brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same, as well.

So, if you find yourself nodding off, this is my encouragement and wake up call to you! He is coming, and I want you to be ready for Him, standing tall with arms wide open, waiting jubilantly for your redemption.




Laura Dysart

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