Almost 79 years ago CBS Radio began a newscast with this announcement: "We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin: The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by air, President Roosevelt has just announced. The attack was also made on all naval and military activities on the principal island of Oahu." The most devastating bomb of that attack hit the forward ammunition magazine of the USS Arizona and exploded with the eqivalent of one million pounds of TNT. Those who witnessed it said the ship was lifted out of the sea by the explosion and then quickly sank to the bottom of the harbor in only 9 minutes. More than 1,100 sailors are still entombed in the Arizona. The entire attack on Pearl Harbor lasted just under two hours, with over 3500 killed or wounded, 188 planes lost and 158 damaged along with 6 major airfields, and all 8 battleships of the Pacific Fleet crippled or sunk.
Why did this happen? Because we weren’t ready. Despite the diplomatic rumblings for weeks before about something brewing militarily, the United States was caught off guard. The attack would have been even more devastating if the aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet had been in Pearl Harbor that day. That lack of preparation ultimately extended World War II as it took time for the United States to recover militarily, especially in the Pacific.
Jesus says in today’s gospel: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come…May he (the master) not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Because we try to pay attention to so many things, it’s easy for us to miss some more important things in life. The loudest voices in our world, often those with the most extreme positions, make it hard for us to hear and to focus on what truly matters. It takes a special kind of effort to ignore what the world is trying to tell us or sell us or convince us, and concentrate instead on the Lord and His will for us. Advent is the time to focus on what ultimately matters the most: the coming of Jesus Christ into our world 2,000 years ago, His coming into our lives, and His coming at the end of time. That kind of focus takes preparation. It can be difficult to be ready for Christ’s coming, we can easily be caught off-guard or unprepared for what the Lord has in store for us or asks us to do. Preparing for Christmas and all its secular demands can consume so much time and energy. It is easy to forget we are called first and foremost to prepare for the Lord in the days before Christmas, to open our hearts once again to the significance of His coming and to His continued presence in our world.
How can we better prepare for Jesus this Advent? One way is to bring the sacred into the secular, into what many people now call the “holiday season.” Here are a few suggestions.
First, make Christmas decorations more sacred than secular. Christmas decorations can include Santa, Frosty and reindeer, but also should prominently feature Jesus, Mary and Joseph, along with religious symbols of Advent and Christmas, both inside and outside our homes. Add a “Jesus is the reason for the season” button to your wardrobe. Send Christmas cards, not holiday cards.
Second, our words should reflect our beliefs as to who this season is all about – Jesus Christ. If a store clerk or friend says “Happy Holidays” to you; respond “Merry Christmas,” or, if the situation requires it, “Yes, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.” Don’t let others make you take Christ out of Christmas. Just smile and gently transform the words and actions of others back into the real meaning of the season.
Third, parties or gatherings you host should include a prayer, and put religious images out for all to see on the food and drink tables: Advent wreaths, nativity sets, etc.
Fourth, use any gatherings during Advent as an opportunity to invite others, especially Catholics who seldom attend Mass, to worship at Advent and Christmastime. This year such encouragement might also include sharing social media links for on-line Advent and Christmas Masses at both local churches and churches throughout the world. Promote such links and the Christmas Mass times of local parishes.
Fifth, make a good sacramental confession so that your soul is ready for Christmas. Don’t wait until the 4th Sunday of Advent or Christmas Eve to do so. Make an appointment with a priest if that’s what it takes to make it happen.
Sixth, consider going to Mass on Christmas Day this year. Make more room for those who will try to attend on Christmas Eve and may not be able to find a seat due to COVID restrictions.
It may seem strange to focus so much watchfulness just on what happens in the 4 weeks before Christmas. Don’t worry about that. The preparation we do in Advent will affect our spiritual lives long after Christmas parties are over and Christmas decorations put away. If we allow Christ to come into our hearts more fully this Advent, that openness will continue in 2021, no matter what happens with COVID or anything else in this world. Let’s become more awake this Advent; let’s be even more prepared, even more awake for the Lord.