Recently, my wife and I were walking around a Costco in San Diego, and to our amazement the store was bombarded with everything Christmas. It seems like every year Christmas décor and bargain sales start earlier than the previous year, and because of that Advent becomes one of the most underrated seasons in the life of the Church. That’s a pity because the importance of Advent calls us to focus our intentions and actions in order to prepare for and celebrate His coming at Christmas and beyond.
The season of Advent marks a key moment in the life of the Church. Advent begins the Church’s year and marks the period when we begin to look forward to the coming of Christ once more in our lives. This impending visit by Jesus invites us to take seriously the call by Isaiah to “prepare the way” by reflecting on the past, praying in the present, and hoping for the future. Life as an Augustinian Volunteer calls all of us to participate in that preparation in real ways. And so, I would like to take some time and reflect on the ways in which we have prepared ourselves for what we have already experienced, as well as what is to come in the remaining months of the volunteer year.
Prepare your mind. Even before arriving to AV orientation, you have been preparing for this volunteer year. Whether that is at a logistical, emotional, mental, or spiritual level, preparation was vital for your arrival. You left your family, friends, and comfort zone to embark on an adventure open to mystery. Your life has led you to this point. The choices you have made, the prayers you have prayed, and your trust in God has called each and every one of you to where you are. This preparation is crucial to the life of the Augustinian Volunteer because through it, each volunteer commits himself/herself to the mission of the program fully. But your preparation doesn’t stop there.
Prepare your heart. Besides the logistical and psychological preparation, there is also a need for a preparation of your heart. Jesus meets us where we are and that is most commonly in the people we interact with on a daily basis. Thus, by living as an Augustinian Volunteer you are embodying the preparation needed for Christmas. Jesus is in your community members, He is in your co-workers, He is in the friars, He is in your neighbor. And because of that, the heart needs time to prepare for all that will be experienced. You have already had great experiences of joy as well as challenges, and these will continue throughout the year. What is important is how we receive these experiences. Is your heart open to where God is leading you? Advent calls us to embark on this road of preparation in order that we may see Christ in others and welcome them into our heart. And yet, there is still more preparation needed.
Prepare your spirit. By preparing your mind and heart, you have allowed yourself to take seriously the call as an Augustinian Volunteer to live faith-filled lives in community and for others. But all of this aims at something more: growing intimately closer to God and bringing others with you. If all we did was show up and serve, that would be great, but being an Augustinian Volunteer calls us to take that experience and use it to grow closer in our faith, hope, and love. In preparing our spirit for Christmas, we acknowledge that in order to give to others what we have, we also need to refresh ourselves with the presence of God. It is our constant prayer for our community that roots us in the hope that Christ’s coming will transform the world in a real way.
And so, this season of Advent I invite you to live the season out in its entirety. Allow this time to continue to form and prepare you for Jesus’ coming. Christmas will come soon enough, but Advent grants us the grace and time to become receptive to all that God has to offer us: faith, hope, and love.
Andrew McMillin
AV Alum, Lawrence 07-08
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