Being one of 8 children meant that every now and then I heard the phrase “Just wait till your Father comes home.”  Usually this was associated with some impending punishment because we kids had not followed what mom wanted us to do.  All we could do was wait--and you can be sure that we were attentive.  Upon his arrival dad would pass judgment on the case presented to him by mom.  It could mean a spanking, or another sort of punishment.  Sometimes Dad decided that the offense didn’t need discipline for one reason or another.

As we embark upon a new liturgical year and the season of Advent the church begins with a harsh and ominous tone.  People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. St. Luke, as did his community, expected that the parousia, the end of the world, was imminent.  His gospel is written after St. Mark’s so he tempers his message by focusing on the importance of the day to day following of Jesus.  Yes, the Lord is coming, but we do not know the specific time; no matter because we know what we need to do today.  So he exhorts his community to be vigilant at all times and pray that they will have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent.

We find ourselves in what St. Luke calls the “times of the Gentiles.”  We’re in between that first coming of Christ and the final coming.  Luke’s advice is good for us today.

Beware that our hearts don’t become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness
And the anxieties of daily life

These anxieties can really get us.  A few weeks ago I was preoccupied with some administrative matters and found myself picking up the chalice but saying the words of institution that apply to the host.  Anxieties had overtaken my ability to be attentive at the liturgy.  It happens!  Perhaps you have found yourself preoccupied and distracted by something these days.

This Advent, God will show us how to deal with what is on our plate.  In the simplicity of our Advent season God will fulfill his promises to his people.  If we give the Lord our hearts they will be enriched.  If we pause with the church for the 4 short weeks of Advent we will have new insight into the miracle of Christmas.  We’ll receive a holy composure to guide us as we juggle household chores, family activities and our own inner struggles.

In our liturgy we practice standing before the Son of Man in humility and praise.  When our God is revealed in all glory, when the Lord comes, he will recognize us and call us each by name.