December 11, 2022 (3rd Sunday of Advent)

“We Want Patience! When Do We Want it? Now!”

by Fr. Dominic DeLay, O.P.

[This is the text composed by the homilist prior to delivering the homily. This homily was delivered only at the 9:00pm Mass.]

What grace or gift might you ask God for this Advent? I’ve asked this of several people this year, and most of them said they want patience. They need patience. Don’t we all.

We want patience with others, usually some particular others. We want patience with life, with God, who never seems to give us what we want when we want it. We want patience with ourselves. When will we finally get rid of those habitual sins of ours!? We all want patience, and we want it now!

In today’s gospel story, John the Baptist sounds impatient: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Just tell us, so we can get on with looking for someone else if we need to. Jesus gives his usual non-response. He doesn’t say, “Yes, I’m the one.” Instead, he says:

“Go and tell John what you hear and see:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

Jesus reminds John of all the great things that are happening then invites John and others not to take offense that he isn’t the kind of Messiah they expect, all judgy or fighty. Yes, he’s bringing a taste of the kingdom but he’s also talking about it being fully realized only in the future, some very imprecisely defined future.

Advent is a season of practicing patience, isn’t it? When will Christmas come? When will finals be over? But what happens when finals are over, when Christmas comes? Are we satisfied, or are we almost immediately looking to the next thing. When will visiting family go home? When will my politically bonkers uncle get a clue? When will my adult children come to Mass with me again? When can I get back to school and be with my friends? When will Christmas season be over? When will people stop singing those boring Christmas carols? Is it Valentine’s Day yet? The displays are up in the store. Are we there yet?

The letter of James encourages us in our practice of patience:

Be patient, brothers and sisters,
until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
being patient with it
until it receives the early and the late rains.

The farmer has learned to patiently wait for the harvest. There are two ways to watch the wheat grow. One way is to strain to see it getting taller and taller. The other way is to simply watch in trust as it gently, almost imperceptibly, waves in the wind.

They say Advent wreaths come from the farmer’s tradition of taking a wagon wheel off for the unproductive winter and decorating it with greens. We put candles in the wreath, and while we might be impatient to light the next one, we’re not particularly impatient to see the candles burn down low. If we look closely, we can see the subtle fluctuations of the flame or a new drip of wax.

Let’s take some time now to practice patience together. Let’s take a full five minutes of silence watching one of these Advent candles, which light the way until the coming of Christ. Or you might want to turn inside, close your eyes, and watch the Spirit’s movement in you with each miraculous breath. And if you really want to get risky, just sit here without any expectations of insight or assurance, letting go of all religious effort and accepting, even embracing, whatever thoughts, feelings, or sounds come your way. I may interject a word of encouragement into the silence now and again, but feel free to ignore me. Okay, I’ll start my timer now.