By Rev. Thomas K. Zurcher, C.S.C.
“This time of Advent is a time of waiting. We are in waiting. This is clear to see.
But all our life is also in waiting. And prayer is always in expectation.”
~ Pope Francis
Waiting. That’s what Advent’s about. Waiting. December 1st marks the beginning of a season of expectation and hope – Advent, 2024.
Truth be told, in the culture of instant “almost everything” we’re generally in a hurry. And the consequences of that: we don’t like to wait.
- How do you feel being put on hold when calling the credit card company to straighten out a bill?
- What’s your reaction when your supermarket express lane feels like a parking lot?
- And the yellow light at an intersection? Doesn’t it really mean “go like h-e-double toothpicks” in order not to stand idle at an extended red light?
- What about airlines? They make money by charging fees for those who want to board early and pass out “mileage” to frequent flyers if checked luggage is delayed for over 20 minutes.
In this context, it’s very possible to say that Advent waiting is counter-cultural. It’s a season that quietly shouts at us, “Hey. Wait a minute!” Or to paraphrase Pope Francis, waiting is not just about Advent. “All our life is also in waiting.”
Simone Weil wrote: “Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” Henri Nouwen wrote: “Active waiting is essential in the spiritual life.”
When it comes down to it, waiting implies that “I’m not in charge.” In the context of Advent and our life of faith, waiting implies letting go; that something is happening over which I have no control; that there is something yet to come. Waiting means active participation in the present, trusting that in God’s time, joy will become an unimaginable reality.
If you’re going to “do” the waiting of Advent, Abby Olcese, a freelance author, recommends taking in a movie from 2005: Joyeux Noel. Nominated for best foreign picture, it tells the story of the spontaneous 1914 Christmas Eve cease-fire of World War I.
Taking Abby’s suggestion to heart, I tracked down Joyeux Noel on the Internet, made a bowl of popcorn, and watched it. Let me join my voice to hers in recommending this movie for an Advent meditation. It portrays that for which we are longing – peace, goodwill, and joy for everyone, always and everywhere.
Joyeux Noel is a true-to-life story about the power of Christmas that transformed the field of battle into a place of peace – at least for a moment. A ballad inspired by this spontaneous truce sings out, “We were enemies one day and brothers the next.”
Amid the hellish hatred and horror of war, on the evening of December 24th, the bloodied battlefield between enemy trenches gradually became a place for fraternal dignity and respect. First, a German soldier began singing Silent Night as his comrades lifted candle-lit Christmas trees out of the trenches. Then Scottish bagpipes accompanied voices floating up out of their trenches on the other side of the battlefield, singing Adeste Fidelis.
French, German, and Scottish officers met cautiously in no-man’s-land and declared a Christmas cease-fire. French, German, and Scottish foot soldiers, anxious at first about enemy tricks, gradually lay down their weapons, left their trenches, and communed with each other– setting aside the brutality of war to share pictures of loved ones, to sing carols and yes – to pray together. As Abby Olcese noted, “A blasted hellscape becomes holy ground.”
That’s what we are waiting for not only in Advent but especially in Advent as we await a celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace. The Christmas moment in 1914 manifested for a brief time the power of that birth to work miracles. People deeply divided and hostile found respect for each other and treated each other well, thanks to the power of the one called Emmanuel – God-Among-Us.
In this Advent, we’re still waiting, with great expectation and hope for something more than a momentary miracle. We’re waiting with eager anticipation for the miracle of kindness to be the way that leads us to a life of joy, right here and right now. Pope Francis wrote in his letter about fraternity and friendship:
Yet every now and then, miraculously, a kind person
appears and is willing to set everything else aside
in order to show interest, … to speak a word of
encouragement, to listen amid general indifference.
If we make a daily effort to do exactly this,
we can create a(n)…atmosphere in which
misunderstandings can be overcome and
conflict forestalled. [Fratelli Tutti #224]
In 1914 there was a brief and spontaneous cease fire. Through the grace of Christmas, enemy soldiers saw and seized their moment. In 1914, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day enemies who were speaking different languages found a common one, that bridged their differences – little acts of kindness that took great courage and the setting aside of fears.
Just as they did in 1914, we have known much misunderstanding, hostility, and conflict in 2024. No need to go into detail except to say that as Advent people we’re still waiting for that miracle called Joyeux Noel. Waiting is our way of life.
With confident expectation, we pray that the “every now and then” mentioned by Pope Francis has arrived for us. Kindness is born. As men and women who trust that the God of love has adopted us, may we take courage, embrace our moment, and participate in the miracle of unimaginable joy as we treat each other kindly. That is what we are waiting for: a truly Merry Christmas.
Published November 2024
