The Archbishop of Milwaukee came to give a conference at my seminary while I was a student. We were all anticipating his visit. He had been the rector of the seminary years before and was well known for his great ability to communicate the faith to others. Many of you know who he is, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, now the Archbishop of New York.
I had read a book by him on the priesthood and couldn’t wait to hear his talk. I arrived early to the auditorium and sat towards the back, as I always did. The archbishop was introduced by the rector, he began to speak and the next thing I knew I was waking up to a round of applause. The conference was over. I had missed it. I was so upset. I leaned over to my friend sitting next to me and said, “hey, why didn’t you wake me up!” He just shrugged. Though I somehow wanted to blame him for my sleeping, I knew deep down it was my fault.
“It is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
We begin Advent with this exhortation from Saint Paul and my bad example of living out his call. Advent is a time to awake from sleep; otherwise we will miss what is most important.
As people of faith, we know the good we must do and the bad we must avoid, yet we get sleepy and easily fall sleep into the sins Saint Paul lists and so many others: drunkenness, promiscuity, lust, rivalry and jealousy. How could the list go on!
Advent is a time to stay awake, it is a time to be vigilant and not fall asleep into sin.
Advent is a time to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Jesus teaches us that the Son of Man will come at a time when people are in the middle of eating and drinking. They will be falling asleep and not being attentive.
A few years ago I saw a 16th century painting by Ignacio de Ries in the cathedral of Segovia, Spain.
On the canopy of a tree sits a large group of men and women around a table that is overflowing with food. Some of the women are standing in a provocative way. Below the canopy two figures stand, one on each side of the trunk. On the left is death represented by a skeleton with a sickle and on the right is Jesus holding a hammer, ready to strike a bell. The bottom of the trunk has been cut with an axe so the tree is about to topple over, and a devil has tied a rope to the top of the tree to pull those sitting over the tree to the side of death, away from Christ.
Time is almost up and these men and women have fallen asleep, missing Jesus’ call to conversion. The bell will ring and they will quickly fall away from Jesus.
Words on the canvas read: Mira que te as de morir, mira que no sabes cuando. Mira que te mira Dios, mira que te esta mirando.
Roughly translated and having lost much of the beauty of the words: Watch out for you are to die, watch out for you don’t know when. Watch out for God is watching, watch out for He is watching you.
This painting, titled The Allegory of the Tree of Life, is a perfect Advent meditation.
In what ways am I like those on the canopy of the tree? Perhaps like them I feel a bit too comfortable or complacent? These men and women, in the midst of their partying, were fast asleep in regards to what matters most. The bell is about to ring and they are not ready!
In what areas of my life am I asleep, unaware of the presence and power of Jesus to awaken me from my sleep? Where do I need healing the most? Where must I seek mercy?
In Advent we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time so we may not be caught by surprise asleep in sin. Some closing words from Saint John Chrysostom:
“The time is short. … The day of resurrection and of judgment is fast approaching … If you have done everything that was asked of you and are prepared for it, then you have nothing to fear, but if you have not, then look out! The nearer the King is, the more [you] ought to be ready to receive Him.”
Picture Above: Me sleeping at the Garden of Olives, Jerusalem like the apostles.
Pictures are mine, all rights reserved
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