Street Where You Live

Sometimes a man lives on a street which is very ordinary, neat to a degree, cluttered to a degree. But after growing thoroughly used to it, one morning he walks to the corner and discovers all over again hidden pockets of interests, pathos and charm. Same street, same man, just a new focus.

Advent in 1965

Again on November 28 the Church begins her New Year of recalling the Christ-filled history of salvation. As Vatican II comes to a close, can we detect a newness even in this early season of preparation? Is there a new focus?

The key to Advent’s first week is GET READY. A Guest is due. We clean the house a little more attentively. We try not to wear ourselves out physically so we’ll be ready mentally to express our good pleasure.

The Advent text fits this perfectly --

“The night is passed, the day is at hand”--

“Show, O Lord, your paths to me, teach me your ways.”

“It is now the hour to rise from sleep.” (We can almost hear the children being alerted.) -

“Look up and lift up your heads -- (and the reason is revealed)

Your Redemption is at hand.”

The second week, the note is simply COME. We think of a young girl’s first big dance (now, of course, the school contacts, the hamburgers and milk-shakes, have taken some of the edge from the anticipation -- but our best young friend assures us there is still a special “first dance.”)

She is ready and waiting. Was he delayed? Will he be on time? The anticipation, even in this sophisticated day, is still part of the main event.

We are awaiting Him. Who is to come. The Jews of Christ’s time wondered who he would be. As the New Testament heirs, we know. “Behold the joy that comes to you.” -- “Behold the Lord shall come and save the nations.” John the Baptist was asked, “Are you he who is to come, or do we look for another?”

We await the Coming. But we must be ready. “Teach us to love.” And the Coming will be of the One “who will bring us to life.” A Break - For Joy

Now it is Gaudete Sunday and Advent is half over. “Rejoice in the Lord always!” the reason is very evident: “The Lord is near.”

The birth of a child is life’s most precious and significant event. Father and mother move toward the day of delivery, conscious of God’s sharing with them this creative action. The Third week of Advent likens to the human situation, the coming divine event. “Drop down dew from heaven. Let the earth be open and bud forth the Savior.”

But this is not an ordinary birth. We meet Mary in the announcement from the angel. “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (Lord with us). She is called the handmaid of the Lord. We meet her again, in the Advent liturgy, when she visits her cousin Elizabeth. “Blessed are you among women.”

And Then

The tempo quickens. Yet the liturgy abounds with ancient texts. Even the structure of some of the Masses differ -- there are more biblical readings than usual. But the texts are almost compulsive.

“The Lord is near” -- “A virgin shall conceive” -- “Bud forth a Savior.”

It is Christmas Eve. We sing carols, we visit, we give gifts, we gather round a tree. All of these popular customs have their meanings. That meaning is good, even in a secularized society.

But to the Christian, they have meaning only in the greater context. First, the note was: “The Lord King will come.” Midway in Advent it became, “The Lord is already near.” On December 24, “You shall see his Glory in the morning.” A Holy Christmas

Is there a reason? “Christ is born to us. Come let us adore Him.” Advent opens our hearts to Christmas as John the Baptist opened men’s eyes to Christ.

Paul J. Hallinan

Archbishop of Atlanta