First Sunday of Advent B - Stay Awake
November 2008
Because they trust you, your neighbour has asked you to baby sit for them as they want to go to a party. They are willing to put their most treasured possessions in your care for the evening.
You accept. But you get bored and drop down to the corner shop to buy sweets or to your boyfriend’s house for a chat.
Your neighbour comes back early and finds you absent and the children crying in fear.
What will you feel like? What can you say?
You are in the armed forces and while on watch or guard duty you feel sleepy and have a quick nap. The duty officer finds you sleeping. What will you feel like? What can you say?
God, the Supreme Being, Creator of heaven and of earth, has given me and trusted me with one of His most precious possessions - freedom to do whatever I want with myself.
If, when He comes, He finds me neglecting or abusing this precious possession, what am I going to feel like? What am I going to say?
It is not easy to treat myself as one of God’s most precious possessions.
Some people are inclined to put me down, to belittle me, even to be nasty towards me.
I am constantly being fed on a diet of entertainment and comedy based largely on degrading oneself and others. If it is not below the waist it is no longer regarded as funny.
Advent is the time to take a close look at myself. To try and see myself as God, my loving Father, sees me.