"Year after year ..." Yes, now it begins again, the Christmas season.
Are you looking forward to it joyfully, or having a bad feeling?
Of course, for many people, Christmas is a joyous event.
Besides the cold, many people like this season.
But the Gospel of the Sunday is just like a thorn in the flesh.
Now, in the time, in which we all want to share in the joyous image of the "sweet boy with curly hair";
but the Gospel of Matthew speaks from a flood.
They also carry off our joy at once.
Because of this, many of us might consider the liturgy as a joy killer.
But the Gospel of this Sunday instructs me,
to play the game of our lives properly.
To understand it in such a way, we need to think peacefully:
What is the goal of the time and what's important?
The answer is simple:
We cannot set the target (of our spiritual life) ourselves, it's given to us.
And it is not just any goal:
the Lord Himself, the Son of Man is coming.
The dark images, the bad message,
must not hide our view;
should not derive us from our target.
We expect nothing but salvation.
God will be coming to us as a human being.
We will welcome him into our midst, and in to our lives.
But for that we require to be vigil:
"Watch therefore: for ye know not at what hour your Lord comes."
This is not a matter of a special vigilance in hours of prayer,
within the church building or during a meditation,
but it must shape our lives:
Even in the daily "business":
in the family, at work, at school, in a community, in the Church, in the field etc
The gospel calls us to be attentive. This should be a daily job.
Just here comes the Lord, because he feels welcome there. We can meet him there.
At the same time there is a hidden danger:
in many preparations and crowds, we can easily miss him very much, even to the core.
The Gospel, the Good News, contains some pictures heavy to mind:
many are certainly difficult to understand.
They should not really frighten us, on the contrary, are set to lead us inevitably to a fundamental question of our faith:
What is the role of God in my life?
Does the goal to which I approach, brings me and the world the salvation. Am I expecting of it?
The gospel message is clear:
"be prepared".
This call starts today very specially at this Christmas season.
Let us practice it in this period:
...as a community of God;
... as the children of God.
May God give us all a blessed Advent. Amen.
-
Fr Thomas Kalathil
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