Our readings for the first Sunday of Advent can be summed up in just a few words:

Come on! Act right and wake up!

It’s not bad advice for our predecessors in faith, and it’s not bad advice for us either, especially at the dawn of this season and another church year.

Come on!

The first reading invites all people to come to the mountain of God, and in this exuberant summons, I hear a call to enter into my faith in a deeper way. One thing I appreciate about being Catholic is that there are plenty of chances to start again. We’re kind of experts in new beginnings. Advent and Lent are entire seasons that invite growth and change. Plus, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation anytime we need it, and every Sunday is a fresh start. In fact, every morning is a fresh start! I always add New Year’s Day and my birthday too – occasions that have that same renewing effect. I’m grateful for so many opportunities to start again, and so when I hear, “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord,” I want to do just that. I think most of us want to be faithful, but we tend to wander off, and God is always finding ways to bring us back.

Act right.

You know, I tend to think our society has gotten bad morally, but then I read the letters from Paul to the early church and realize that people have always done crazy stuff. You’d think it would be easy to just be good to each other, but apparently it’s very hard. I say that as if it’s about other people, but I certainly have my moments. The other day I was trying to run into the grocery story to pick up some little thing, which one should never do the week before Thanksgiving. But I did. And someone got aggressive about a parking spot. I forfeited the spot but gave her the meanest look I could possibly give. I was so mad! So mad that I was distracted and struggling to find the little thing I went to buy. Why? I was actually stressed about things going on in my life, and the person in the parking lot was likely stressed about stuff going on in her life. She probably came home and told a story about someone being rude to her in the parking lot! So, I definitely need the invitation to act right – we all do. I guess we do the best we can, and when we don’t get it right, we say our sorries and learn from it and move on. There’s another chance to be better!

Wake up.

At first glance, the insomniac in me resists this invitation from the Gospel. My body and mind often say, “Wake up!” when I really need to be sleeping. Even so, I appreciate the metaphor. It’s not about being awake or asleep but about being attentive to what God is doing in my life. It’s easy to move through life on autopilot, but when I do, I miss what God is doing. The thing is, God is always doing stuff in my life, and the more I notice, the more I experience God’s love and care. The same is likely true for you. Being awake in this context means being alert to the movement of the Spirit, and that helps me to recognize God in all circumstances of life. As we start anew this Advent, preparing our hearts to receive Christ at Christmas, maybe we can recognize Christ right here, right now, in each person we encounter (even aggressive ones. In parking lots).

So, come on, everybody! Let’s act right and wake up! God is inviting you and me into this holy, still, gentle, waiting season of Advent. Let’s open ourselves, seeking God in all things because God wants to be found.

Come on, act right and wake up!

• What is the new start that you need as Advent begins?

• How can you be more attentive to God’s presence in your life?

• Are there any behaviors or patterns that you need to change to be more open to God?

• Besides Christmas preparations, the decorating, shopping, and everything else, what spiritual preparations do you feel called to make? What can you do to help yourself to notice God in all things?

By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP

Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She also serves on the Coordinating Council of Spiritual Directors International. She enjoys music, meaningful conversations, dancing, and Advent calendars with chocolate in them.