Advent Reflection Day 15: Life of Authenticity with Mercy and Compassion for the Poor to Recognize the Sign of Christ’s Arrival

 Revelation 3:14-21

Yesterday, we reflected on the importance of staying out of worldly noises and lights that have nothing to do with the true voice and the true light that we are keeping our eyes and ears for as we prepare ourselves to welcome Christ during Advent.  For this lesson, we learned from St. John of the Cross, who found darkness and stillness as a way to grow in faith, purity, and intimacy with Christ. And, our Advent preparatory work is aimed for the same purpose, as welcoming the incarnated Christ in our hearts at his arrival is to show how much we love him.

All the noises and lights of the world during this time of the year not only distract us from our Advent preparation but may let us become absent when Christ arrives – as the foolish virgins were not there when the bridegroom arrived as they were distracted with the shortage of the lamp-oil (Matthew 25:1-13).

So, we stepped aside from the worldly noises and lights into the purgatorial (purifying) darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross has encourages us to embrace in finding Christ intimately, with Psalm 112, which reminds us of Christ the light shines through this kind of darkness for those who are faithfully seeking him and preparing his way of coming (Psalm 112:4 cf. Isaiah 9:1; John 8:12).

Another reflective lesson from Psalm 112 yesterday is that our Advent preparatory work to make the way of Christ in this purgatorial darkness and stillness, away from the worldly distracting noises and lights includes our merciful and compassionate care for the poor – for the least among us (Psalm 112:9).

Just think.

Do you think Christ will arrive where all the worldly noises and lights of commercialism and consumerism are? Or, what about where not many people are – so it’s rather quiet and not so well-lit. But, where the poor, the sick, the marginalized are found?

In Matthew 25:31-46, Christ has reminded us where is likely to be as Immanuel (God with us). If our eyes for Christ is blind or if we are not vigilant, then, we will not recognize him among those who are poor, sick, imprisoned, isolated, and so forth.  Thus, keeping our eyes open and vigilant for Christ to come means that we have eyes of mercy and compassion. And, this lesson is echoed also in Revelation 3:14-21, Christ’s message to the church of Loadicea.

So, before his arrive, let us listen to his voice and learn from him now.

I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).

We think we have been awakened to Christ’s coming since the first Sunday of Advent and have been working to make Christ’s way  at least since the Second Sunday of Advent to rejoice the imminence of his arrival, as reflected on the Third Sunday of Advent, is our work really the kind of work that Christ wants when he arrives?  What kind of work does Christ wants us to do for his arrival?  In doing our preparation work for his arrival, do we see the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the isolated, and so forth? Or, are we doing the work distracted by these worldly noises and lights, away from the kind of the darkness and stillness that St. John of the Cross embraced?

Unless we ask ourselves such questions, we may risk ourselves and our works to be “lukewarm”.

For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see (Revelation 3:17-18).

If we and our work are “lukewarm”, we are not living and working authentically but out of our vanity of ego. Carrying such a way of life will be an obstacle in recognizing Christ at his arrival. Remember, John the Baptist has called us to repent, as our Advent preparation (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4)? Do we recognize our own vanity and repent and see the true treasure that only Christ can give (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:33-34; 2 Corinthians 8:9)?  These worldly noises and lights of commercialism and consumerism can put you in vanity but sure keep you from the true richness found in poverty – in the darkness and stillness.

So, Christ himself calls us to leave a life of vanity and live an earnest life by repenting.

Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent (Revelation 3:19).

From now until Christ’s arrival, we really need to work on ourselves – on our hearts, not of vanity but of earnestness and authenticity through penance, in connection to those who are least among us.

Now listen to Christ!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne (Revelation 3:20-21).

The knock of Christ came as the sudden sign of labor to Mary, while she was on her way with Joseph to Bethlehem, about 2,000 years ago.

How will Christ will knock…how will he let us know of his arrival? We don’t know. But, we shall recognize this if we are well-prepared to receive him as we make the straight path for him to come, as we live a life of authenticity and not find ourselves isolated from the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and so forth.

We will know when Christ arrives as long as we live a life authentically, not out of vanity, keeping our vigilant and compassionate eyes of mercy for the least among us.