Archbishop J Peter Sartain - An Advent Pilgrimage: Preparing Our Hearts for Jesus

An Advent Pilgrimage

Preparing Our Hearts for Jesus

An Advent Pilgrimage

Preparing Our Hearts for Jesus

By Archbishop J. Peter Sartain

Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division

Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.

Huntington, Indiana 46750

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Every reasonable effort has been made to determine copyright holders of excerpted materials and to secure permissions as needed. If any copyrighted materials have been inadvertently used in this work without proper credit being given in one form or another, please notify Our Sunday Visitor in writing so that future printings of this work may be corrected accordingly.

Copyright 2014 by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain. Published 2014.

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts for critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without permission in writing from the publisher. Contact: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440; .

ISBN: 978-1-61278-865-4 (Inventory No. X1579)

eISBN: 978-1-61278-864-7

Cover design: Tyler Ottinger

Cover art: Shutterstock

Interior design: Maggie Urgo

P RINTED IN THE U NITED S TATES OF A MERICA

Contents

Introduction

Just north of Pocahontas, Arkansas, there is a beautiful bend in the road named Engelberg. The immigrant farmers who arrived there in the nineteenth century envisaged their native Switzerland in the hills and decided to make the area their home. It had been a rainy month the morning I set out to celebrate confirmation there, and before I left home the pastor called to report that the final leg of the road to Engelberg might be flooded. If I came upon a sign that indicated such was the case, I was to call a certain parishioner on his cellphone. He would direct me to Engelberg by another route.

Sure enough, as I turned down the road to Engelberg, I spotted an ominous orange sign announcing that the Fourche River had jumped its banks, the road was dangerously flooded, and all drivers should turn back. I called the parishioner for advice. He responded with an offhanded chuckle, Its OK to drive right through the water, as long as you can see the yellow line in the middle of the road.

I said to myself: Im driving an SUV, and the parishioner is confident. Go for it. As I approached the flooded section of the road and realized it was not much more than a paved dirt levy, however, I began to have doubts. The wind was whipping the water into waves that licked the high door of my vehicle but I could still see the yellow line. Cautiously, slowly, nervously, I made my way safely across the water.

I had planned to take the long way home that night, but the same confident parishioner offered to lead me back across the flooded road in his pickup. Off we went into the watery darkness, no less for the wear.

All of us use guideposts and road maps to help keep us clear of danger and on the right path: As long as you can see the yellow line. As long as the fuel indicator light doesnt come on. As long as Each of us fills in the blank. Even if we dont always pay attention to our guideposts, we know we should, and we know instinctively what will happen if we ignore them.

The Advent/Christmas season reminds us that one criterion above all is worth remembering: As long as you keep your eyes on Jesus.

Who of us does not need a regular time of silence and peace, a time to let the events and trials of life fall into perspective Jesus perspective? Who of us does not need him to guide us on his way, his star to enlighten our confusion, his gentle hand to nudge us along?

Advent offers a quiet opportunity to see the Lord Jesus as the only Light, the only Star, the only Guide. He, after all, is the Way. It is my prayer that these simple reflections help you keep your eyes fixed on him and to discover anew that he has never taken his eyes off you.

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain

The Lord is close at hand and calms our fears

Im embarrassed to say that I used to be afraid of Mr. Bingle. Each Christmas shopping season back in the 1950s, Lowensteins department store featured the diminutive snowman puppet with a high-pitched voice that encouraged boys and girls excitement about the latest toys. For some reason he frightened me. Perhaps it was the movie about the Abominable Snowman I heard the older kids talking about. I didnt know what abominable meant, but it sounded ominous enough to keep me at a safe distance.

On Thanksgiving Day a few years ago, the Memphis, Tennesee, newspaper featured a story about Mr. Bingle, and one of my sisters reminded me how I used to hide when he appeared on television as if I needed the reminder.

One Christmas, when one of my nephews was a toddler, I gave him a book about a baby monster who was unable to sleep at night because he kept having nightmares that a little boy was hiding under his bed. The baby monsters mom and dad helped him conquer his fear of going to sleep.

I, too, was afraid of going to sleep alone in my room at that age. The solution was to keep the door open so the hall light could shine near my bed, and I then could hear the television and the voices of family members. Not feeling alone any longer, I went fast asleep. It made me feel secure that someone was within earshot, even if no one was actually in the room with me. The family was near.

Most of us overcame unfounded childhood fears by learning that someone was close enough to make sure no harm would come to us. That someone was real, but the things we feared were not.

As we age, irrational fear still can have a way of unsettling us the feeling of being utterly alone, wondering if anyone notices our plight; idle speculation run amuck, worrying that the unthinkable but unlikely could actually happen; memories of past mistakes replayed in our heads, painful what ifs gnawing at our consciences.

Whatever the source of our apprehension real or imagined it somehow helps to know that someone is near.

Not all anxieties are irrational, of course. We know from experience that life has its dangers and disappointments, its traps and tragedies. These are not phantoms of our imagination, and they can threaten our peace of mind.

Whatever the source of our apprehension real or imagined it somehow helps to know that someone is near. Having friends and family within earshot, experiencing their encouragement and support, our loads are lightened and we find strength to forge ahead.

In much the same way, but at a much more profound level, Advent teaches that Someone is indeed near.

The reign of God is at hand! John the Baptist announces in the Gospel of Matthew (see 3:1-3).

Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication sorrow and mourning will flee, prophesies Isaiah (35:4,10).

Make your hearts firm, for the coming of the Lord is at hand, writes James (5:8).

Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, the angel tells the confused and anxious Joseph in a dream. It is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. Just as Isaiah had prophesied, reveals the angel, The virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, a name which means God is with us (see Mt 1:20-23).