Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

2nd Sunday of Advent (December 4, 2005)

Readings Gn 3: 9-15, 20 Ps 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4 Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12 Lk 1: 26-38

Suggested Emphasis

"While waiting for the promise of God's justice, make every effort to be found without stain or defilement and at peace in God's sight."

Salesian Perspective

There again in today's Scripture is the sense of expectation about the fulfillment of God's justice and the need to be watchful and vigilant. This is certainly a continuation of the suggested emphasis for the First Sunday in Advent: being watchful, vigilant.

The best way of anticipating the justice of God is to "be holy in conduct and in the practice of devotion." What is devotion? "That spiritual agility and vivacity by which love works in us or by aid of which we work quickly and lovingly…It not only makes us prompt, active and diligent in doing what God commands, but in addition it arouses us to do quickly and lovingly as many good works as possible." (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter 1) Devotion is about seizing the daily opportunities to do the right thing.

Truth be told, however, there really isn't much allowance to "wait" for anything when it comes to practicing a life of devotion. To "wait" would suggest that there are times in our lives when God wants us to take time off from loving God, ourselves and one another. A closer look at our relationship with ourselves and others reveals that there is more than enough to keep us busy while we anticipate the day when the justice and peace of God's Kingdom is fulfilled.

Waiting is not about being passive; rather, it is about recognizing how to practice devotion in the particular events and circumstances of every day life. This, in the Salesian tradition, is the essence of being "at peace:" practicing devotion in an intentional, deliberate and conscious manner. "We must in all things and everywhere live peacefully. If trouble, exterior or interior, comes upon us, we must receive it peacefully. If joy comes, we must receive it peacefully, without a throbbing heart. Have we to avoid evil, we must do so peacefully, without disquieting ourselves; otherwise, we may fall as we run away and give time to our enemy to kill us. Is there peace to be done we must do that peacefully; otherwise we might commit many faults in our hurry. Even our repentance itself must be made peacefully…" (Letters to Religious, p. 62)

What better way to keep ourselves free from "stain or defilement" than to be consumed by doing what is right and good in God's sight, and so strive to be sources of God's justice in the lives of others. No better way to avoid sin than to devote ourselves to the practice of virtue!

What are we waiting for?

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS is Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.