Show Me

Dec 10

I have a confession to make. Even though Advent is a season of preparation, I often find myself anything but prepared. I tend to rely on my ability to “fake my way through things,” and for more years than I’d like to admit, Advent has come and gone with me simply going through the motions.

Recently, at St. Francis de Sales School, we held a signing day with one of our students committing to play football at Rutgers University. During his interview, he spoke not about his successes but about what he learned from his failures. At one point he said, “You cannot microwave the process.” I liked it so much that I’ve borrowed the phrase for my own life.

To “microwave the process” is to want things instantly, thirty seconds, maybe a minute, and expect real transformation to happen that quickly. But the work the Lord does in our hearts and minds is not microwave work. In my experience, it’s slow, deliberate, and patient. Looking back, I realize how often I’ve tried to microwave my relationships, my prayer, and my acts of love. This year, I’ve decided to take a different approach.

The Gospel Acclamation from Psalm 85 on the First Sunday of Advent proclaims, “Show us, Lord, your love.” This has become my simple prayer. Instead of trying to force progress, I’m trying to notice what God is already doing.

I hope to show God’s love the same way I learned to carve a turkey. When my dad was carving, I stood close next to him and said, “Show me.” That’s my Advent prayer: draw close to God and ask, “Show me.”

Advent cannot be microwaved. So this year, instead of faking my way through, I’m choosing to focus on God’s work and see the Lord’s love. My hope is simply that, with grace, I can reflect that love in my life.