Hello, dear friends of the Diocese of Olympia.
We’re embarking on Advent, that season of longing and waiting as we get ready for the coming of Jesus. And while our culture is shifting us to a time of consumerism, we’re invited to think about other things, about preparing our hearts, about waiting.
We’re going to be hearing from John the Baptist, of course, as we always do, not once but twice. And in the midst of that is this call of his to become alert, to figure things out, to get ready.
And for me, that always brings up that favorite Advent film of mine, A Christmas Story. You might be wondering how A Christmas Story is actually an Advent film. But throughout the entire thing, Ralphie is just waiting and longing for that Red Ryder BB gun. There’s that great scene when he goes to see Santa at the shopping mall, and he’s coming up to where Santa is, and he’s placed on Santa’s lap and he’s asked what he wants for Christmas, and he can’t remember. And you hear his adult voice narrator saying, “Come on, kid, don’t blow it. Wake up!”
Wake up, that’s one of those calls that we hear during Advent, right? Wake up from all that is going on around us, wake up from the droning of our culture that says it’s all about things and not about relationships. This season of Advent gives us an opportunity to wake up and realize that Jesus is coming once again to help us prepare room in our own hearts, in our souls, for the Christ child to be born.
As we make our journey through these four weeks, may we recognize our need to get ready, to wake up, to see things as they are, to maybe make some room so that when we get to Christmas, we might actually experience Christ with all of the excitement that Ralphie does on his own Christmas morning.
I hope you have a blessed Advent season, and know that my prayers are always with you.