Author: Deacon Curtis Turner

What is Advent, really?

Brothers and sisters, Advent is not really about waiting for Christmas as much as it is about waiting for the second coming of Christ. The Birth of Jesus is something that most of us contemplate, we celebrate, we are familiar with the stories and are familiar with how the birth of Jesus came about. But, it is his second coming, the event that hasn’t happened yet, the day when he will call his followers together, that is what Advent is all about. Advent is defined as the beginning of the church year because waiting for Christ to come a second time is what the existence of the church is all about. Everything we, do we do, until he comes again in glory. Let me say that again, everything we do, we do until he comes again in glory.

Warning – Salvation ahead.

And brothers and sisters, Advent is a poignant reminder, maybe even a warning, that when he comes again in glory, you had better be ready. It is why the colors of repentance characterize this season. We all know the story of salvation. We know how this ends, but sometimes we forget. The warning signs are there but sometimes, we ignore them.

Photo-enforced speed zones

I got a confession; I enjoy driving down Connecticut Avenue and the Anacostia Freeway. I ready enjoy driving down both of those major Washington area streets for two reasons – Each of those streets has photo-enforced speed zones AND I know exactly where they are. Since I know where they are, typically, I speed down Connecticut Avenue until I get to Chevy Chase Village or I speed down the Anacostia Freeway until I get to the Pennsylvania Avenue exit. I know where the cameras are and I know exactly when to slow down.

Now, brothers and sisters, that same sort of warning is coming to us during Advent. Like all Christians, we know the road and all of the speed traps that can divert us away from our salvation. The Church knows how this story ends, it knows which team is going to win and it wants to make sure that we are on the winning team. Just like I know what to do to avoid a ticket and get to my destination safely, the Church knows what we need to do regarding our own salvation.

Happy Advent

Brothers and sisters, we know how all of this is going to end. We profess it each time we say, “Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again.”  We profess our faith that Jesus is coming and I want to be ready. And for those who do not share this faith, frankly Advent is a warning. Advent is a warning that God is coming and to be prepared.

And remember, ALL of our sins are photo-enforced!

Thank God for my car!

My uncle had an uncanny sense of appreciation. He pasted on to my generation a propensity to thank God for the most unusual of things. For example, my wife laughs at me every time I drive by a bus stop. Often, when I notice a bus stop, I say a prayer of thanksgiving for my car. Until I was well out of college, I did not own a car. I rode the Metro buses and subways everywhere. At that point in my life, I did not ride the Metro because it was the most convenient way for me to get to school or work. I rode it because I had no other choice. Without the Metro, I would have to depend on rides from friends and classmates and I certainly could not afford a cab.

The “70” bus

If you grew up in my part of Washington, you know of the “70” bus which runs from somewhere in Silver Spring, down past Howard University toward the National Mall.  It goes though some of the richest and poorest neighborhoods in the District.  Therefore, riding this bus is often an adventure.

I told my wife that I cannot recall how many times I would be waiting on Georgia Avenue for the infamous “70” bus and look at people sitting in traffic. Many of those folks looked annoyed at the traffic and I would lament silently, “You don’t know how blessed you are to have a car!”

Prayers for the pavement

Living with traffic is part of living in the Washington area. And cursing the Beltway is very much part of the Washington experience. So, here is a lesson. The next time you are in traffic because of an accident, thank God that you are in the traffic and not the accident. Then pray for those folks in the accident who would probably gladly change places with you at the moment. Or, the next time you have to endure rush hour on the Beltway, be thankful for the employment that caused you to get on the Beltway in the first place. And when you are slowed up going home, thank God that you have a home in which to go.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving – even if you spend some of it on the Beltway.

Recently, I was serving Mass with a good priest friend of mine at a parish in Baltimore. During the Mass, a small toddler got restless, starting crying and every few moments, the baby would let out a piercing scream. The poor parents of this child were trying in vain to quiet the child. They pulled out toys, passed the boy back and forth, hugged him and rocked him, all to no avail. Now, the parents did not take the child out of the Church because the father was being received into the faith and needed to be present during the Rite of Acceptance. Nonetheless, I must admit, one part of me was annoyed because I found it hard to concentrate.

Should I really be annoyed or thankful?

Sitting on the altar, I noticed others in the congregation getting annoyed as well. Well, right when we could not stand it any more, right when the mother and father were about to surrender and leave the Church, my friend the celebrant, said to the parents, “Don’t worry about the crying child. All of that crying just means that the Catholic Church has a future.” He went on to say to the rest of us, “If you go into a church that does not have a crying baby, that church is in trouble. It has no future. So, let us thank God for crying babies.”

Cries of joy

That simple statement changed my mentality as well as that of most of the congregation. I still think the parents of an older child who should be disciplined may still rightfully garner a few scorns. But an infant whose parents are trying the raise the child in the faith deserve a bit more sympathy.  So, next time you find yourself annoyed and distracted by a crying baby, thank God; the future of the church is being secured.

I will share more “less-than-obvious” reasons to thank God in the coming days.

Adding to my thoughts on “grateful and brokenhearted”, one common mistake we make upon learning of someone’s death, is that we try to avoid or minimize our grief.  I think those who know us and love us but, were not necessarily as affected by the loss, want us to get past the grieving as quickly as possible.  So, frankly, in their attempts to help us, they do and say some silly things.

“Homegoing service”

Let start with calling a funeral a “Homegoing service.”  I have always been bothered by this!  I have begged my family to make sure that when I die, do let anyone call my funeral a “homegoing service.”  I need a funeral, not a “homegoing service.”  I need an evening of prayers followed by a Mass of Christian burial.  Why?  First of all, anything else it implies that no one is supposed to be sad at my death.  Not only are we supposed to be sad at the death of someone;  God is sad at the death of someone because, death was never part of His plan for us.  Death entered the world because of our sins, not because God planned it.  God will overcome it nonetheless.  But, to call the funeral rites a “homegoing service” confuses joy with hope.

My father died when I was only nine years old and there was NOTHING joyous about that.  I was sad then and over 30 years later, I get sad now.   Furthermore, I actually get resentful if someone suggests that I am not supposed to be sad anymore.  However, each time I pray for him, I am filled with hope.  That is what being a Catholic is all about; Hope.  And genuine Christian hope feels wonderful and can actually make you smile.

God needed another angel in heaven.

First off, we are not angels.  Angels are angels.  Human beings are human beings.  God does not need us to be an angel or anything else for that matter. Rather, God WANTS us to be part of the heavenly kingdom. To suggest that when a musician dies, God needed another player for some ethereal orchestra is silly.  The heavenly kingdom would get along fine without us.  Instead, God loves us and WANTS us to be part of it.  He does not NEED us.  How cruel and selfish would it be for God to cause pain and suffering because of some otherworldly essential?  God did not plan for your death or the death of your loved one.  He only planned His response, through His own death and resurrection.

We should not be sad today.

When I hear this, I want to scream, “Are you kidding?!”   When Lazarus died, Jesus wept.  When any of the faithful dies, I would like to think Jesus weeps.  I am convinced that Jesus shares our sadness.   However, unlike us sinners, Jesus responds to death with perfect love and hope.  Nonetheless, even though death has been overcome by Christ, the pain and sadness we feel initially is no different from the pain and sadness our own Mother Mary felt at the foot of the Cross.  When I preside at a funeral, I pray that the congregates leave with a renewed and sustained hope in the resurrection of their loved one.  But to suggest that one should not be sad or that one should not cry would be misguided at best, if not cruel.

Christ our Hope

During Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States, the theme “Christ our hope” was repeated throughout the visit.  Regarding Christian hope, the Catechism of the Catholic Church reads, “We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives for ever, so after death the righteous will live for ever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who dwells in you. – Rom 8:11

Brothers and Sisters, as we commemorate the faithful departed today, let us weep if needed and let us be sad. Also, let us remember fondly our loved ones and, if possible recall a good memory or two.  But, most importantly, let us hope for the joy of the resurrection of all us.