22 December 2024 #thehomestretch
Wow. What a worship space. It’s been hard work to get where we are today. We’ve had our fair share of mountains to climb and valleys to traverse. There have been moments when we thought it could never be done and questioned our commitment to the whole thing, wondering if this really a good idea? I imagine you in your pew, looking around at the stunningly beautiful worship space. In the presence of the Lord, agreeing with me that it was worth the effort.
I am not talking about our renovated digs, you know. I’m referring to our great renovation project of the soul… the one we’ve spent these last four weeks working on. Fr. Dave’s first words [the Collect] at Mass today are from the prophet Isaiah, “Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts.” I wonder: Is your heart ready to receive the pouring forth of abundant grace as we head into the second biggest feast of the year, the birth of Our Lord? Is the renovation of your heart near completion? Is your sacred space tidy and small, firm and strong, ready to receive Peace Incarnate, as Micah says? Are you open to this new life of grace dedicated to Our Savior as our Psalmist asks? Even more important, are you ready to do God’s will, today’s great evangelistic message from St. Paul?
I don’t know about you, but I still have a few soul-cleaning tasks on my to-do list and one of them has an echo of Mary’s hasty departure to see her cousin Elizabeth. Bear with my geeky-Bible-self and let’s indulge in a little Greek, the language of the New Testament. Luke 1:9 is written thus: “Having risen up, then Mary in the days of this, she went into the hill country with haste [spoudé], to a town of Judah...” This word, “haste” means to go with diligence, effort, earnestness, zeal, enthusiasm, and speed. It can also be translated as “eager.”
My pondering questions this week are thus: Am I eager to embrace these last few days of my Advent renovation like Mary? Will I eagerly go to meet my Lord this Wednesday, regardless of how weary I may be? Will I act with diligence and zeal, putting in the effort to prepare myself to celebrate the Lord’s birth? Will I finish off Advent and enter into Christmas with a quiet joy? That’s my goal. How about yours?
#thehomestretch