Distracted to disorder

The new liturgical year begins with the season of Advent. The texts from the RomanCatholic Lectionary today bring to mind that preparation to celebrate Christmas, when the “just shoot” promised by the Prophet Jeremiah to the disposed of the southern kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, becomes our understanding of the nature of Jesus as One who restores the disorder in our lives to renewed focus on growing our relationship with Him. The season of shopping has begun and many vendors who work only during this season are offering special treats for our distraction and gratification. We decide that we need some things that offer momentary gratification yet soon begin to be extra baggage in our life. Friar Jude Winkler compares our tendency to greater disorder and distraction to the decision to have the little donut. The moment on our lips... is chosen even though the additional calories are not going to help. The path we take is like the Thessalonians, who Paul commends in the passage from his letter. We are following the example of Jesus in living with visible love and attention to one another. Paul, according to Friar Jude, at this time, is certain of the imminent return of Jesus and the last days of the World. The exhortation of the “Apostle to the Gentiles” to increase our pursuit of holiness is more urgent as the end approaches. We would agree that the battle to keep ourselves from the disorder of our own passions and gratifications would be more focused in our final days. Father Larry Gillick SJ takes the opportunity to remind us of the need for honesty in our lives concerning the disorder and self centered orientation we find there. Father Larry considers the response of the residents of the US east coast to the storm Sandy. It would be among the natural signs in the Gospel of Luke which are opportunities for us to attend to our real needs and the poverty of the “just shoot” who brings order back to lives which are responding too frequently to the distractions that disorder.