1st Advent B - Watching for God and experiencing life

Going to museums can be amazing. Art can affect and have an effect upon us. It can cause us to react, to think, to transcend, to appreciate beauty! If we notice it. I have been in the New York Met, in front of a Rothko and started to cry. I have stood before a Caravaggio and been drawn into the story being told. Recently I was in a museum and was struck by a particular statue of Hercules. It was tall, 20 feet, dynamic, with amazing detail. I was admiring it, and this woman came up, took a quick glance, pulled out her phone, took a photo and moved on.

We do this and can witness this taking place a lot. Amazing things in front of us, art work, vista scenes, weddings, baptisms, flowers…and we spend more time getting a photo than we will taking in the view. We may capture the object, but we fail to capture the moment. We do not truly see what is going on.

Life is meant to be lived with fullness, with intensity; that means to experience it as it is, not how we want it to be.  Living life eternally, fully means to engage in life around us, in the people around us. Living life eternally means to experience God in this world, God in this life, and be open to those moments in which God calls us to act; to do what is right and good and just.

It can be difficult to live life as God wants us. We can get distracted with lots of concerns. We can be distracted by other things. We can be ignorant of what is going on. We can become egotistical and try to make life conform to us. Life then becomes more superficial, more small; ultimately unfulfilling.

God wants us to have better.

Jesus lived life fully, intensely, with intention and purpose, with gratitude. He watched for when and where he could act: to heal, to forgive, to welcome, to inspire. He was alert to those moments in which the Father was bringing forth the kingdom and Jesus responded. Even unto the Cross.

He calls us to the same intensity and calls us to the same attentiveness. He calls us to become more alert to the life that is around us, to the people around us, to the needs around us; to the beauty and wonder. 

This means that often we need to slow down, ponder, discern, consider our lives and actions. Take that time to appreciate the experience or to critique our choices.

Advent becomes a season to appreciate, to watch and prepare; to consider our lives and open ourselves to more.

Christmas celebrates the reality that God entered into our lives; therefore human life is wonderful, amazing. It is meant to be lived fully with joy and gratitude. Jesus’ salvation is the freedom to enter into that life more and more. Jesus remains present always, inviting us to live more; but that means we must be alert to that invitation, and watch.

Someone recently shared how after mass they saw two elderly persons, and the shuttle back to their residence was not coming, so they were going to take Uber. So the couple offered to take them to their home, and along the way they engaged in conversation, shared experiences and shared faith. Now there are smiles when they come to communion and see them.

Others have shared how they saw someone new at mass, engaged them in conversation and it made the difference in that person engaging in the parish.

What other moments exist in which if we look and watch, we could find reconciliation with someone estranged from us; help out someone who struggles with finding something to eat; help someone who is having a bad day have a better one with our smile.

We can also watch to raise someone up, instead of looking for faults and mistakes. We can watch for those moments to help and assist, instead of look for moments to criticize and given unsolicited opinions.

So many opportunities are given to us so as to engage in life, in God’s work. So many opportunities Jesus calls out to us to look and see, to do what something good and loving.

If we but watch.

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