God’s Promise in Our Time of NeedRead Time 9 min

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11

A consistent companion for me during the season of Advent is a series of sermons and meditations by Fr. Alfred Delp, S.J. They are collected in the book “Advent of the Heart” published by Ignatius Press. These are no ordinary meditations. In Germany during the mid-20th century, Fr. Delp was a thorn in the side of Nazism through his staunch resistance and incisive writing. The book contains selected sermons and writings of Fr. Delp from 1941-1944. While the sermons are those that he preached in Munich, the later writings come down to us from small slips of paper that were smuggled out of Tegel Prison.

As a political prisoner, Fr. Delp spent much of his time in solitary confinement — the ultimate sign of powerlessness. During his time in prison, he reflected on his powerlessness in the light of Advent. Fr. Delp wrote that when we search our souls, we find that our hearts yearn incessantly for “more.” Yet we run up against so many limits that prevent us from attaining this ultimate desire of ours. Sin and its attendant guilt weigh us down. Life circumstances thwart the best laid plans. Very quickly, we run up against our limits and are forced to acknowledge them. We are confronted with our powerlessness.

But from within the bare walls of Tegel Prison, Fr. Delp shares with us a second truth, and one that liberates us. He continued his reflection, likely scribbling on a scrap of paper with handcuffed hands, “the terror that accompanies such an awakening to one’s own situation is finally and conclusively overcome from within by the certitude that God has already set out and is on His way.” (pg. 52) In another place he stresses it much more succinctly, “God promised to be on our side and to meet us.” (pg. 51)

Fr. Delp lived the Advent experience. In Tegel Prison, he knew what was coming — execution. And he was powerless to stop it. But also, despite his powerlessness, Fr. Delp understood what else was coming for him. Grace, strength, faith, God — these too were coming for him in his time of need.

It is the third Sunday of Advent. This Sunday we trade the penitential and preparatory color of purple with the subdued joy of rose. The Church lets out a restrained burst of joy knowing that the Lord’s nativity is drawing near.

While we may not be political prisoners like Fr. Delp, for many of us, the third Sunday of Advent reminds us of our limitations. Rather than joy, we may feel anxious that the window of time to accomplish all the things we had set out to do is quickly drawing to a close. Most of us, if not all, are exactly in the place we swore we would not be this year.

Perhaps last year we resolved to do less this this time around. At the beginning of Advent, perhaps we resolved to focus on the important things of Advent. We swore we would learn to say “no” to certain things to say “yes” to the spiritual preparation we know we and our families need.

Nevertheless, so much of Advent has proven to be out of our hands. Besides sports, kids’ schedules now need to accommodate concerts and plays. Christmas parties at work or with friends increase our joy to be with them but also sap our limited time. Cards. Not to mention the daily stressors of life did not take a vacation during Advent. There is a lot of Advent that is out of our control. And in some sense, the third Sunday of Advent makes it blaringly clear.

Yet the words of the Church this day cry out, “Rejoice! Gaudete!” But for us feeling overwhelmed with all that needs to be done, what is there to rejoice in?

We can turn to our second reading. Our reading comes from the eminently practical Letter of St. James. We read just seven sentences from his letter, yet St. James tells us to exercise patience four times. And one of the images that he uses to describe patience can remind us of a very important aspect of our faith. That, in the last analysis, we are not in control and are utterly dependent upon God.

We hear in Mass today, “see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” The “early” and the “late” rains show the daily dependance on God’s providence that a farmer has in raising crops. The farmer knows he cannot count his crops until they are gathered in the barn. An early rain with a late drought can devastate a season. No rain to start the crop followed by copious downpours will leave only mud for the farmer to look at come fall. Each day needs to be provided for if there is to be a harvest. The farmer who is patient after doing what he needed to do has to reckon with his absolute dependence on God and his providence.

This is the real spiritual preparation that our hearts undergo during the season of Advent. Sometimes we do it to ourselves, sometimes it happens to us, sometimes it is the fruit of prayer (the preferred method), but Advent is often the proving ground that reminds us that we are utterly dependent on God. And Fr. Delp reminds us that God has already set out on his way. So, rejoice!