A Lesson from a Marathon - A Spiritual Lesson for the Post-Gaudete Sunday Advent

If Advent is to be compared to a marathon, a 26.2-mile-long running race, then, Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent) would correspond to the 20^th mile mark.  And, the Fourth Sunday of Advent is like the 23^rd mile mark. 

As Christmas draws near, we tend to feel time is passing faster and faster toward Christmas. 

When we were little kids….back in the time when we used to believe in “Santa”, as a fat jolly old man bringing presents in the middle of the Christmas Eve night…wondering how “Santa” would get in if there was no chimney in the house…, Advent upon Gaudete Sunday on was really an exciting time, looking forward to Christmas with joy.  But, as we have become grown-ups, this time of the year, so near to Christmas, can be quite stressful time. We often feel we have lost that childhood joyful anticipation and excitement toward Christmas. 

As a mental health clinician, as well as a pastoral minister, I often get consultation requests for “better way” or “stress-free way” to spend Advent season. 

Unless you can afford to take a vacation or a solid amount of time off out of your busy daily routine during this time, it’s pretty much impossible to practice a kind of relaxation psychologists and self-help programs offer.  As far as I know from my experience, such people with the luxury of time off are in a very small number. Most of us just have to keep working many hours to get all the bills paid by the end of the year.  So, this time remains just crazy.  And, all that Christmas preparations, such as shopping gifts, attending Christmas parties and so forth, come on top of a busier work situation, adding more stress to higher level of end-of-the-year stress. 

So, the question is – how can we really find way to deal with high-level Advent-Christmas-the-end-of-the-year stress?

My suggestion to tackle this question mirrors my marathon advice: We do not need to stop what we have to do but we do need the discipline to keep enough energy flow to keep up with higher level of stress.

If you run a marathon, both your body and mind perceive more stress as mileage increases. This is just the way it is. But, those who finish the gruesome race of a 26.2-mile journey within targeted times without injuries know how to handle pain and stress on the road, while those who do not often drop out or quit…or barely finish a race with some injuries. 

If you happen to be like a marathoner who can “afford” to drop out or quit just because it becomes painful and stressful as mileage advances, then, you must have the luxury to shut down your busy daily routine operations and go on vacations for relaxations, as prescribed by psychologists and popular self-help programs. But, if you are not one of these lucky people, then, you are more like these marathoners who cannot afford to quit or drop out even pain and stress press on you more and more. 

So, what discipline is necessary to keep enough energy flow to get us going through stress level increases and become more intense without getting burned out?

The discipline is pacing! 

Just as successful marathoners practice the discipline of pacing, we, the busy people, can practice this kind of discipline more intentionally during this advanced period of Advent. 

This discipline includes controlling our impulse so that we don’t necessarily get sucked into temptations and peer pressures, while focusing on what is really essential. In other words, the disciplines enables us to be more efficient in dealing with tasks, just as successful marathoners with the discipline of pacing use energies more effectively for endurance. 

To those who are not used the discipline, this may sound rather counterintuitive, as “discipline” can pique stress to them. But, such folks must overcome this initial resistance. Otherwise, they would repeat the same old stressful and painful cycles year after year around this time of the year. 

So, the first step to break the old stress-prone habit in order to get into a new life with disciplines is to make time and room for more nourishment – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. For example, by waking up a bit earlier can make that time we often complain not having. And, we can allocate this time for nourishing ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This way, we can keep on going through a path of intensively stressful time – just as disciplined successful marathoners continue to keep their paces and also manage to keep fueling necessary energy boost by consuming energy bars and Gatorade without stopping. Such runners can eat and drink while running without upsetting stomach because of their trainings and disciplines. They do not to have to take a break from a race to replenish energy. Likewise,  we can manage to remain productive and effective through this stressful time of the year without taking even a day off as long as we are disciplined enough to make time for our self-nourishment.

Spiritually, Advent is a preparatory period to improve ourselves. Its main theme for Christians is penance – converting ourselves from sinful life to God-focused line.  In this context, “convert” means to turn (vertere in Latin). And, to extend this further to apply into our critical needs to deal with stressful time, it is a time for us to “convert” ourselves into a more disciplined life style so that we can better manage higher-level of stress – just as successful disciplined marathoners can handle intense pain and stress on their advanced-mileage part of the journey. 

In welcoming the Messiah, who is fast approaching to be with us and to be among us, let us complete our “conversion” – spiritually by repenting and psychosomatically by the life-style disciplines. 

Knowing that we rejoice the arrival of the Messiah, we can endure our last small portion of Advent journey, though pre-Christmas stress may become more intense. Our Christmas joy is like the kind of joy successful marathoners look forward to upon crossing the finish line. 

Let us keep our pace with the discipline as we have converted ourselves to a better self-discipline and to more God-focused life. 

Personally, what helps me keep my sanity during this super-crazy Advent season is Simbang Gabi novena, a popular Advent custom in the Philippines and in Pinoy communities throughout the world. This is a great spiritual practice we can all take into our own unique life circumstances during this busy time of the year.  Dedicating ourselves – our time for a daily mass for this novena can really empower faithful Catholics and enable to handle challenges better during this stressful time. 

Nourishing reward for disciplining ourselves to give our time and self to devote to God through Simgang Gabi novena will continue to unfold and multiply even after Christmas. 

As I am about to sign off this now, I am looking forward to this Advent’s last Simgang Gabi Mass and a fellowship gathering over delicious Filipino food also to nourish my body. 

With disciplines, may the rest of your “Advent marathon” be even more powerful than ever for a successful completion to welcome the Messiah on Christmas.

Merry Christmas!