Alleluia! Hurry, the Lord is Near

Sunday, December 8, 2013
"Alleluia! Hurry, the Lord is Near"

Just at the moment, Christmas isn't feeling all that near, but that's probably just because I sang at the Catholic Student Center, where everyone is so much closer to Christmas break than we are at St. Anne's.  Of course, I'm used to that.  Mom always got off Lamar earlier than the rest of us.

What struck me when I sang this song this morning was the fact that there was no action in this song.  We are enjoyed to hurry to do...nothing really?  To "Sound the trumpet" and "Go out to meet him, shout his name".

I mean, considering what He normally asks of us...sign me up?

Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you, have a fun party when I come down from heaven...

Now that I have been facetious about the point, I can admit that it actually feels quite true though humbling.  I remember my sister getting very upset when the new Mass parts were introduced -- not because she disagreed with the translation or underlying theology, but because she felt that the Church was focusing on entirely the wrong things.

Pope Francis seems to be saying the same thing.  We've been taking "What you bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven...whose sins you forgive will be forgiven them" too much to heart and forgetting that we are the recipients of grace, not the purveyors.

Now, don't get me wrong, we can and should spread it and share it.  That's how we make it multiply, but we are not the source of grace.  We are the ones shouting Alleluia! at its approach.  We are the ones hurrying toward it because we have been granted a taste of how wonderful it is and know that we will want to be there quickly.

It's a joyful time and I admit that I find our cosmic smallness something of a relief, but it can be an extremely humbling time, Advent.  All of our actions are after thoughts to the battle of Good and Evil, even in the battle for the redemption of our individual souls.  We are the damsels in distress who were saved by our Champion.

We can share and extend that blessing, open our hearts to share that light and love and gift with others, we can sound the trumpet and shout His name to let them know that they are saved, but that is all.  All we can do is remind people that they are already saved.

That is our spiritual work.

Besides, there's plenty to do with the other injunction from Jesus and recently reiterated by Pope Francis - love our neighbors as ourselves.  Start caring for all the people of this world.