Dress Rehearsal

Today's Scripture

My youngest daughter has been involved in Theatre for many years, and I have seen her spend time memorizing lines, practicing her delivery, even working on an accent or two. But if I'm honest, these rehearsals at home, this lengthy period or preparation and memorization is pretty far removed from the real thing. When I attend the play or the musical, I recognize the lines, but it is a whole different story playing out before me.

In our Christian thinking, hope is more than a wish or a desire for something to occur - it is an expectation. It is going to happen; it's just a matter of how and when. This couldn't be any truer than in Advent. The dress rehearsal is the answer to the question: what turns all of the memorization and rehearsing into the captivating story that draws the audience in and captures their hearts? In this sense, I think it would be helpful if we thought of Advent as a dress rehearsal. All year we work on our prayer life (OK, at least part of it?); we know all year long that we are supposed to be helping others and building Christ-centered relationships; we sin and we repent (sometimes on a wash, rinse, repeat cycle). Advent is the time to pull it all together. He is coming!!

The return of Jesus Christ is not a vague wish, or just and unfulfilled desire - it is a certainty - something to be hoped for in the Christian sense. This means that we have to prepare. What will Jesus hope to see when He returns? Well, He does ask the question: When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth? What does faith look like? There are many elements, but let's examine four.

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus speaks of feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned. These indeed show our love for Jesus as He tells us that when we do this for others, we do it for Him. Finding clear ways to do this directly for others during Advent is a beautiful way to show that we believe everything that He teaches and instructs us to do.

Jesus, even in the midst of His busiest days of ministry, where people were clamoring for Him, and seeking Him out at every turn, found time to spend in prayer. Going off to a quiet place. Find and use your quiet place, and spend quiet time with Him this Advent. Share your heart, listen for His. Quiet time, you and Him.

Hospitality. One of the dangers of considering that Jesus might be coming again today, tomorrow, this Christmas is this: will you recognize Him? I suppose we should always treat everyone as though it might be Him, considering again that He tells us that how we treat the least among us is how we treat Him. Are we welcoming the lonely, the annoying, the obnoxious, the ones that oppose us.

Lastly, we hear the story of the ten lepers and the one who returns to give genuine praise and glory to Jesus in gratitude for all He has done. Are we doing that? Is our worship at Mass full of gratitude and raising our voice in song and prayer as though He has saved us from the most wretched disease? Because He has. He has saved us from sin and deserves our full-throated praise.

If we even focus on one of these for each of the weeks of Advent and allow it to affect our hearts, we will be getting much closer to needed dress rehearsal for the arrival of the King.