November 28, 2005
Advent - Again
Things repeated, especially annually, often give a sense of having been done before which is called deja vu. Somehow, Advent does not give that feeling to me. I simply love Advent. The sense of anticipation of the celebration of Christ’s birth and especially the noticeable increase in people’s concern for one another and for the poor and the needy always gives me a lot of joy. When we were giving out tons of turkey and groceries for Thanksgiving, a woman named Felicita, who is now a grandmother, reminded me of her first Christmas in New York. She was nine years old. Her family had arrived from Puerto Rico on December 19th with nothing, hoping the father of the family could receive treatment for heart disease. There were no free health services for the poor in Puerto Rico. They were given a very shabby apartment with no furniture at all. When we heard about this we arrived with a van chock full of mattresses, bedding, dishes, silverware, winter coats, food and gifts. Felicita told me she was convinced I was Santa Claus, even though I had a red beard in those days.
Christmas inspires us to be generous because the Son of God gave Himself away completely. We acknowledge Him as the King of life and love and eternity. He left this world with nothing. His holy life and death prove in an overwhelming way that the only things we can take from this world when we leave it are the things we have given away.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR _________________________________________________
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