1st Sunday of Advent: Be Prepared!

Today begins the New Year in the Church. Today we begin our eager and joyful waiting on the birth of the Lord. It is a time of watchful waiting. It is also and more importantly a time of preparation to receive the Lord. Jesus instructs us in today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, “To be prepared.”

In life we prepare for many things. Think of the student who prepares for his or her lessons. All of us were students once, at different levels, some present here today are currently students. Being a student is not always easy, but the formula for success is not hard. One word sums up being a student, “Study!” I understand that there are an exceptional few for whom school comes quite easily and not much effort is expended, but for most- the average person, we need to work hard at doing well. So, if I study for 30 minutes before I enter a final exam, the outcome will probably not be good. If, however, I do my assignments, take good notes, and study well the odds of a good and or excellent outcome increase.

Another such example of someone preparing well is the athlete. Again, a very select few are given tremendous gifts and will be successful with very little preparation, but for the most part the typical athlete must put in many hours of practice, watching game film, working on fundamentals, off season conditioning, and all the rest to stay at the top of their game and be successful, if not they will soon begin to drop off.

And it’s not just the student or athlete but this applies to a worker, regardless if you are an employee or if you own the company. The worker who is well prepared is usually also a worker who is diligent, efficient, loves his or her job, and it shows really quick. For the most part they are the ones who advance, while the one’s who complain are usually not well prepared, have not been efficient, and who come to work not for the success of the company but for their own success. There is no magic or difficult formula for success; rather it is simple, “be prepared.” That phrase will usually encompass the rest of what it takes to do well and be found ready to perform and to advance.

If we do all of these things for our earthly welfare, how much more so for our heavenly welfare. If we put so much time and effort in being the “a” student, or the “blue chip” athlete, or even the “exceptional employee,” what are we doing to become a “Saint?”

Our employer is God and His reward to us in being found prepared makes all the earthly rewards combined look like nothing more than dried up leaves flying across the street. God gives us work, school, and any other activity for our enjoyment, and He desires that we do all things well, but to never forget perspective. And the proper perspective here is that God is #1.

Today is our New Year and a great time to make that new resolution to make God #1 in our lives and in waiting for Him to be born not just on Dec. 25^th but every day. When we begin to skip days we miss another opportunity to study, to practice, or to complete our work assignments. When those days begin to pile up, it is then we get that “D” or “F” on the exam, or fumble the football on a crucial play or forget the play that was called, or even find ourselves looking for new employment. This kind of thing sneaks up on us. Yet, the Lord understands our weakness and that is why He gives us opportunity after opportunity to start again, “to become better prepared.” Our opportunity is now, this first day of our New Year. Together let us take it, so that when the Lord arrives He will say to us, “Enter into the eternal banquet, my good and faithful servant!” It is then that we will truly receive the greatest grade, perform the best play ever, and receive the greatest promotion!

Fr. John