[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Advent, as we live it out today, does I think suffer from mixed messaging.<\/p>\n

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I mean, on the one hand it\u2019s a season in which we are invited to spiritually prepare and seek the Lord, to wait for his coming, to be still and to know. But, on the other hand, it\u2019s a season of unmanageable busyness\u2014the presents, the parties, the everything else. You know what I mean; it\u2019s exhausting.<\/p>\n

And the Church often goes right along with it: This Advent, we say: pray, watch, find time for the Lord; and by the way, here are 52 events we\u2019d like you to attend over the next three weeks. You see what I mean? Even I feel it. Advent is the busiest time of the year, hands down, for we clergy; but perhaps for you too. Again, it can be exhausting. Full of joy, yes (and I love it), but exhausting.<\/p>\n

And sometimes (speaking only for myself here) it makes it hard for me to find the Lord, to wait for him, to be still and know. Sometimes things can get so busy nothing seems spiritual. And here we are on December 23, making sure we get our two Masses in like good Roman Catholics. And good on you for being here! But where is Jesus? How can my heart find him? These are questions my soul sometimes asks when things get rushed like this. Again, I\u2019m speaking only for myself. But perhaps you know what I mean.<\/p>\n

So, what should I do? And if you\u2019re in the same boat as me, what should you do? Especially in these last hours of Advent; especially if we\u2019ve maybe made a mess of it spiritually? The short answer I think is simply focus<\/em>. In these next few days, we should focus, try to focus at least. But how? And also where?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an interesting word\u2014focus<\/em>. As we use the word today, we mean something like concentration, as when we tell students to focus. Like a telescope or a microscope or a camera, focus has something to do with optics and geometry. That\u2019s what we mean by focus, and that\u2019s what I mean by telling you to focus these next few days; my advice is to concentrate on the mystery of Christ\u2019s birth as best as you can.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not all that the word focus means; and this is why it\u2019s interesting. The way we use the word focus is quite modern, going back to Johannes Kepler in the sixteenth century. For him focus was that burning center of a lens. And that\u2019s probably why he thought to use the word focus, because in Latin the word focus meant hearth, fireplace, the warm center of the home.<\/p>\n

Which before central heating was quite an important place. It was the place of warmth and light. For ancient Romans the focus was sacred; it\u2019s where the household gods were placed. In ancient Greece, newborn babies were welcomed into the family at the hearth; it\u2019s where the dead were brought before burial. The focus was the hearth, the heart of the home, the center of the family; that\u2019s how Kepler thought to use the word focus, from this centering idea of warmth.[1]<\/a> Focus was not simply an act, but a place. This, of course, is something we\u2019ve almost entirely lost now; now we have thermostats, which I just don\u2019t think anyone has yet considered sacred.<\/p>\n

Now, I take you down this etymological path simply to add something to my advice that you focus these next few days. Yes, focus on the mystery of Christ\u2019s birth; yes, come to church twice. But also think about the ancient meaning of focus; think about your hearth, your home, your home\u2019s center, wherever is its warmth. That is, open your eyes spiritually these next few days not only in church but at home too. Look at your spouse, your children, your friends, even maybe your in-laws; see the messiness of it, the family-ness of it, and at least try to open yourself to what is sacred about it, even despite its brokenness and imperfections. Focus on Christ but also focus on the focus that is your home.<\/p>\n

Because God is there too; or at least he might make an appearance. Here I am meditating on today\u2019s Gospel, on the simple beauty of the intimacy of the annunciation.[2]<\/a> The angel appeared to her, perhaps in her room, in her home, perhaps near her hearth, her focus. God can happen there, in your home. That\u2019s my point, my simple advice.<\/p>\n

And so, don\u2019t worry if you\u2019ve whiffed on Advent again. Join the club. But don\u2019t worry, for it\u2019s not too late to make the best of it. It doesn\u2019t depend on us anyway, thank goodness. Christmas will come anyway. And that\u2019s because God loves us so. Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Albert Borgmann, Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life<\/em>, 196-197<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Luke 1:26-38<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9 2023 Rev. Joshua J. Whitfield[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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