Fish Don't Know They're Wet...

Fish Don't Know They're Wet...

Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent:  Matt 24. 37-44

On Friday I was blessed to lead a retreat with the central office staff of Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools. The theme for their school year is "Casting Our Nets", based on Luke 5.1-11, and so we reflected on our personal and communal responsibility to evangelize.

In our retreat, we looked at the "boat" that is the school district, the "net" of the Good News, and the "sea and the fish". We discovered of course, that we were both the "fish" and the "fisher people", for the New Evangelization calls for the evangelizers to be evangelized themselves.

So, what is this sea that we swim in? Well, our Church, especially under the shepherding of Popes John Paul, Benedict, and now Francis, have really helped us understand the sea of modernity.

It is a sea of "isms".

Here are some of the biggies:

Individualism

No one tells me what to do.

I'll make it on my own.

I did it my way.

Secularism

My faith is private.

I leave my values and beliefs 

out of the public sphere.

What I believe does not impact my day to day life

Relativism

There is no absolute truth.

Values are relative.

Consumerism

My value as a person = what I own

There is no distinction between needs and wants.

The newest and most advanced is what I need.

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Boxing Day.

 

Here is the problem: Fish don't know they're wet. In other words, the "isms" are so much a part of our culture, we don't recognize the depth of damage they do to our souls. We're hurting and we don't realize it. Identifying them is one thing, but recognizing their impact on our own personal lives is quite another.

 

That is why, in her beautiful wisdom, the Church gives us the gift of the season of Advent.

 

And what a gift it is! Too many of us get caught in the wrapping paper and think of Advent only as a four week preparation for Christmas. Yes, we are preparing for the feast of the Incarnation of Christ, but we didn't get the gift of Advent to remind us about how many shopping days are left, or how many "Christmas" parties we have to attend so we can be completely burnt out by December 25th.

 

Look at the Latin root of the word. 

Ad vent,"to come".

 

The Lord Jesus Christ came to us as us 2000+ years ago. Prepare to celebrate!!

 

The Lord Jesus Christ will come again. 

 We have, in this first Sunday, a warning from Jesus about the end to come. "Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming..."

What a great gift! Jesus and his Church is reminding us to prepare for everlasting life!!

But here is the best part of Advent.

This is the time for the fish to realize they are wet! We get a chance to change our lives, to turn back to God! Because our Lord is here. Now. Present in us, the Body of Christ that is the Church. Most gloriously present in the Eucharist.

The key is to WAKE UP!!!

It is the first step to authentic discipleship.

For This Week...

In your prayer time, be it on your own, in the classroom, in the staff room, or with the family, I invite you to:

1. Light the Advent candle

2.Read the Gospel of the Day

3.Ask God to help you confront the "isms":

• Have I shared my life with others today?
• Have I stood up for my faith?
• Have I stood up for my values and the Truth?
• Have I been less greedy and more generous?

4. Pray an "Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" (we wait, like Mary waited, so it is indeed fitting to pray with her!)