Slow Down -- Now!

I was buzzing along the turnpike with the rest of the traffic. As often happens with moving traffic, “reduce speed” signs go unheeded, lest one be run over by the other drivers. Suddenly, up flashed a bright electrified sign: SLOW DOWN – NOW! That got my attention as the lane in front of me disappeared. The lane closing along with the flashing message got my quick attention.

Today begins the season of Advent. It seems no time since we’ve been cruising along through the liturgical year. Where has the past year of grace gone? Here we are staring down Advent again with Christmas just behind it. Put on those liturgical breaks we say. Watch, listen, and be attentive. SLOW DOWN – NOW! That’s the invitation of Advent as we prepare for Christmas and Epiphany.

Our spiritual life is like that turnpike trip as we move along. We are anxious to attend to the journey ahead and at the same time we keep an eye to the past in the rearview mirror. We have covered a lot of territory, but we are anxious to move quickly to our destination. The “slow down – now!” sign of Advent is to make sure we know exactly where we are. We need to be in the present moment and realize quickly what is happening.

Beginning and Ending
Beginning and ending is all a question of perception. Last week, the Year of Grace 2008 ended with the Solemnity of Christ the King. With Advent, we set out in the same place with the beginning of the Year of Grace 2009. We are urged to be alert to the coming of Christ, the culmination of all times and seasons. We have journeyed in Christ on the way to the Kingdom and we continue with renewed energy in quest of that future time, when Christ will gather all things to himself.

In the slow-down of Advent, we are invited once again to notice that all liturgical mysteries begin and end in Christ. Even as we prepare for Christmas and Epiphany, we might well

remember the Easter Vigil with its blazing fire and the Christ Candle. “Christ yesterday and today, the beginning and the end, Alpha and Omega, all time belongs to him and all the ages, to him be glory and power through every age for ever. Amen.”

The Easter Vigil with its thematic of light and darkness, death and life, might allow the unlocking of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Advent calls us to wait in the night for the coming of the day. It’s about hope with an eye to the past and to the future. Christmas is about the glory of God seen and known in the Christ. Again light outshines the darkness. In the birthing of the Savior we begin to learn about re-birthing from death to life. Epiphany celebrates the Christ as light to the nations.

Advent Counter Culture
Advent is counter cultural. It slows down to the excitement and speed of Christmas preparations. It’s about the discovery of Christ among us, the mystery within each and all of us. We are invited to watch and pray, to notice the action of God in our life, and to wait patiently in the night for the coming of the dawn.

The Word of scripture is a word of discovering God’s fidelity in the past, as we listen to the prophetic word. At the same time we look forward in hope, but find the action of God in the present moment.

Sunday Eucharist moves us toward Christmas and Epiphany. We again wait and watch at the transformation of God’s People into the Kingdom. The signpost of the journey is broken bread and a cup poured out. It’s about death to life, brokenness to wholeness, darkness to light. Looking for Christ in Christmas? Go within both oneself and within the People of God.

We are blessed in our winter cold and darkness as metaphors of our Advent journey. We long the more for Christ our Light in the gathering of his People. In our waiting and longing, the Light becomes more brilliant and glorious. Slow down and hope.

CDH