Fr. Bob - First Sunday in Advent
The other day I was taking with a Lutheran pastor who is now a hospital Chaplain. He told me, “One thing I’ve learned as a hospital chaplain is how to be with people in a way that they really feel listened to. And if I’d done that when I was in the parish, I would have been a better pastor.” Listening deeply to one another -it’s a gift that quiets our hearts just enough so that we can see the inner goodness in each other and in ourselves.
I know a dad, who when it was bedtime for his kid would say this prayer with them. “Take Lord receive all my liberty. All I have is yours. Give me only your love and your grace. That is enough for me.’ Though his kids at the time didn’t fully understand the meaning of the prayer their dad knew it well. It was his story. Through the school of hard knocks, he’d learned what it means to let go and trust that God’s grace would be enough for him.
That person you find difficult to get along with -we all have someone like that. That person could be a spouse, someone in your family, at work, or at school. Learning to love each person for who they are, -it’s not always easy. The temptation is to want to change that person into how we want them to be.
The community of Thessalonia was struggling to get along. So, the apostle Paul writes them a letter. It’s today’s second reading from II Thessalonians. It reads, “Brothers and sisters, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another.” Learning how to accept each person for who they are, it’s how struggling communities learn to come together in their differences.
Today is the first Sunday of that much underrated and overlooked time of year that we don’t hear much about. It’s the season of Advent. How do we enter into the quiet inner stillness that Advent invites us to?
A good start is to work at the art of deep listing, letting go and trusting that God’s grace is enough, and accepting people for who they are. This week in all probability you’ll have a chance to practice all three. Deep listening, who do you need to listen to better? Letting go, where is it that is hard to let go and trust that God’s grace is enough for you? Accepting people for who they are, whom do you find hard to get along with?
In this busy, noisy, and sometimes chaotic and anxiety-filled world we live in, could you use a little more peace of mind? Focus on these three things, deep listening, letting go and trusting, and accepting others for who they are. If we let it, the quiet inner stillness of Advent can seep its way into your hearts and then who knows? In a busy and noisy time of year it t just might be there for you just in time for Christmas.
