Consolamini (be comforted)

Consolamini (be comforted)
(an Advent Reflection)

One of the themes of Advent is that God will comfort His people. This is one of the messages of the prophet Isaiah, delivered in the context of Israel’s exile in Babylon. We know that God did comfort His people, and eventually Israel was able to go back to her homeland. But God went beyond that. He sent His Only Son, Jesus. God has visited His people in person, not anymore through prophets. What could be a greater comfort and consolation than that? In human experience, we comfort each other by being actively present to one another. This is exactly what God did to His people. Advent, which means ‘coming’, refers to the coming of our God to be present to His people. It is a season of joyful expectation for God’s coming.

During this season we prepare to celebrate meaningfully that first coming of Jesus, the God-man, on the first Christmas night. We also focus and prepare for the second coming of Christ at the end of time, which will most probably not happen in our lifetime, so that we are practically preparing for our inevitable death. But the only way to prepare for the second coming, as well as for a worthy celebration of the first coming, is to prepare for Jesus’ coming into our hearts in the in-between, which is now. Jesus comes to us through the Sacraments, but also through loving encounters with others. His coming into our hearts is the sure comfort that we desperately need in this valley of tears.

How then do we prepare for Jesus’ coming into our hearts? John the Baptist said it well: “Repent”. Jesus himself began His public ministry with the call to repentance: “Repent, and believe the Good News”. (Mk. 1:15) This is the precondition for receiving the comfort God is offering us—His presence, through His Son Jesus’ presence in our hearts.

Let us then examine more deeply what repentance is by looking at two related terms. First there is the Greek word “metanoia” which literally means a change of mind. So we attune our minds to God and all that He is. Everything starts with the way we think. Our thinking gives birth to our speaking, and eventually to our doing. If we think prejudicially about someone, we will certainly speak prejudicially against that person, and chances are we will either offend him in deed, or fail to act charitably towards him when the need arises. If we feed our minds with impurities, we are in danger of committing sins against purity. So conversion starts with the change of our minds and hearts. As St. Paul reminds us: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4:8).

Another closely allied term to repentance is contrition, to be sorry for our sins. The Catechism tells us that genuine contrition involves three things. It requires that we have sorrow for our sins, detest/hate our sins, and have a firm purpose of amendment, that is, we have to be resolved not to sin again, as well as be willing to make satisfaction for our sins. It is also not enough to be sorry for our sins. We have to take concrete steps to overcome the weaknesses that lead us to the particular sins we fall to. With a repentant heart we are now ready to receive the forgiveness of God in the Sacrament of Penance. When the priest absolves us from our sins, they are taken away, and God immediately dwells in our souls. What peace of mind it gives us, which is the first installment of comfort. Then we are ready to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. This is the presence of God in our soul par excellence. This is the closest we could get to God here on earth. What better comfort and consolation!

This does not mean, however, that all our problems will be solved instantly. But it does mean that God is offering us the grace to handle all our problems, because He is with (in) us. With or without Him, problems are part of human life. We might as well face our problems with God in our souls. This is the comfort and consolation God is surely giving us—being with us as we go through all the trials of this life. This is not just an idea in the mind. God has shown it in Jesus who took on human flesh and went through all the sufferings life could offer, even to the point of dying on the cross, an act of oneness with humanity.

Now some people really go through hard times and need the most of God’s comfort. Others may have a smooth sailing life. But still, for those with a relatively problem-free life, it is an empty one without God. Sooner or later one feels the sadness of human existence, which makes us realize our need for God’s comfort. How many times have we felt a deep sadness or aloneness without even knowing the reason for it? So we all are in need of God’s comforting presence in this life.

The call to repentance is for everyone, not just for the hardened sinners. If we do not feel the need to repent, perhaps we are experiencing a kind of spiritual blindness to our sins. Even if we are not aware of very serious sins, there is always room for repentance for lack of love for God and others, for selfishness in some way. We have only to reflect on how much God loves us, to realize how little we love Him. That itself calls for repentance.

The more we repent, the more we open ourselves to the comfort of God’s coming into our hearts. The more we empty ourselves of our self centeredness the more God can fill us with His grace. One does not realize what he is missing until he is in possession of it. We can easily fall into spiritual mediocrity and say we are good enough. But there is so much to experience in terms of being in an intimate relationship with God, of a deeper experience of his presence in our hearts. The lives of the Saints attest to this. This is something that cannot be explained or taught in an empirical manner, but to be discovered and experienced by each person as he welcomes God in his heart, and endeavors to grow in union with Him.

The annual liturgical celebration of the season of Advent is an opportunity for us to re-live the long period of expectancy by Israel for the coming of the Messiah. Let us take advantage of this season to excite in our hearts a greater longing and desire for God to come into our hearts. For the greater our desire, the greater will be our joy in receiving Jesus in our hearts.

This Christmas may find many people beset with afflictions, or experience so much deprivation. Some may have no family to be with, or in such a sorry situation. To them the perennial message of the Scriptures is offered. God offers us His comfort and consolation. One only needs to work himself up towards genuine repentance with the help of God’s grace. Let us be reminded, however, that the experience of God’s presence is not necessarily dramatic or spectacular. It is borne in deep faith, which is a gift of God we always ought to pray for. Externally though, it requires silence. This means quiet time with our Lord is necessary on a regular basis.

Others may have so much in abundance in terms of material blessings and a happy family. Still, they would do well to open themselves to the comforting/consoling presence of God for a holy enjoyment of his blessings, and hopefully be moved to share their blessings with the less fortunate ones.
A Blessed Season of Advent to one and all!