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Today’s scripture readings challenge us to focus upon the topic of
“time,” especially the “time being right”—and “right now”—to get
things straight in our lives with God. Why? So that “the
mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the highest
mountain and raised above the hills.”
Perhaps all of that sounds rather boring. But, the prophet Isaiah
promises us that when we get things straight in our lives with God
and witness to that relationship through our words and actions, the
world will change and we will see “All nations
streaming toward it; many people coming and saying: ‘Come let us
climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he
may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his ways’.”
What
Isaiah offers us today isn’t
boring at all. No, what he offers
is an inspiring vision of a world at peace as all people in all time
zones and in all locales will have gotten things straight in their
lives with God and walk in God’s ways.
This inspiring vision of that “new time” will never come to
fruition, however, unless we first climb up the Lord’s mountain—that’s
you and me—and
allow God to instruct us in his ways. Then, after we had
descend from that mountain and will walk in God’s ways, we will
continue the saving mission of Jesus Christ: to covert others
through our words and actions so that they will stream toward the
mountain of the Lord and say
“Come
let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his ways.”
Do
you believe in Isaiah’s prophecy? Do you believe that if you
climbed up the mountain of the Lord and got in a right relationship
with God, then your words and actions will possess the power to
bring God’s peace into your marriage, into your family, and into
your home?
If
you do, understand well what it’s going to be required of you
because this kind of mountain climbing is neither
for the
uninformed and nor the uninitiated.
The kind of mountain climbing Isaiah is talking about isn’t
of
the kind your or I could do in the hills of eastern or western
Pennsylvania but of the kind you or I would do in Colorado, Wyoming,
or in the State of Washington. Believe it or not, mountain climbing
of this kind may very well be the ultimate competitive sport,
because a mountain climber must compete against oneself physically,
mentally, and spiritually as well as against the mountain! A
mountain climber will either rise to meet these many challenges as
they arise during a climb and arrive at the summit or a mountain
climber will turn one’s
back toward
the summit and descend down the mountain, only to return home having
failed in one’s
quest.
What spurs mountain climbers on so that they rise to the challenges
and experience success?
Physically, mountain climbing requires great lower extremity
endurance. During a mountain climb, there are many times when the
lower body will become unstable. Success requires preparing the body
through aerobic as well as cardiovascular exercises to build up
strength and endurance. With a mountain’s temperature variations
and thin air, climbing through climatic extremes will also test the
lungs. As a result, mountain climbers must train to require as
little oxygen as is necessary. Preparing to meet these physical
challenges does not deter successful mountain climbers but spurs
them onward.
Then, there are the mental challenges. Success in climbing
mountains requires that a mountain climber to be focused upon the
goal—reaching the summit—and not allowing other impediments to
become distractions. Yes, there are the physical impediments—pain,
fatigue, hunger, and fear—which can easily distract the mind’s
focus. But, the beauty of nature can also present an impediment.
Breathtaking vistas as well as the beauty of the creatures in their
natural habitat are just two possible distractions. Maintaining
one’s focus upon the goal and pressing onward when mentally
challenged by distraction is what spurs successful mountain climbers
on.
Yet, beyond these physical and mental challenges, mountain climbers
are also spurred on by the expectation of a significant
psychological experience at the summit which can “take one’s breath
away.” While mountain climbing offers a glimpse into the very basic
value of nature, when mountain climbers reach the summit and take in
the complete vista and look back upon where they have come from,
many of them will experience what they describe an intoxicating
feeling—what some exercise physiologists say is due to an adrenaline
rush. This is the experience John Denver memorialized with the hit
tune “Rocky Mountain high.”
Like all things in life, success in mountain climbing requires
learning a few basic rules. These include:
1.
No
two mountains are the same.
As a result, success in climbing a mountain requires having
developed a well-rounded set of skills so that the mountain climber
is prepared to confront any situation.
2.
Out in the middle of
nowhere, numerous
things can go wrong when climbing a mountain.
A mountain climber needs to be able to deal with unexpected problems
without leaving the mountain. Success, then, requires learning basic
mountain climbing safety and first aid.
3.
The
body needs to be prepared for mountain climbing because it is
exhausting work.
This requires committing oneself to cardiovascular exercise as well
as core exercise—like crunches, leg lifts, push-ups, and bicycle
kicks—and lots of them to strengthen those muscle groups which never
have to work when one is seated in front of a computer or
television.
Notice how these basic rules converge upon one idea: developing
self-discipline, namely, the self-disciplines that not only prepare
a mountain climber to deal with expected as well as unexpected
problems as they arise, but also strengthen a mountain climber to
succeed. Absent these basic self-disciplines, mountain climbing may
be the most competitive sport, but it may also end up being the most
deadly physical sport.
Climbing the Lord’s mountain is no different in this regard.
Success also requires learning basic some rules.
1.
Know
what success requires.
Inspired by God, Scripture and Church teaching provide infallible
guidelines to achieve success. Studying Scripture and Church
teaching is essential if one is to be successful in climbing the
mountain of the Lord.
2.
Each
day will present numerous challenges to strengthen the spiritual
muscles which oftentimes don’t get exercised.
As difficulties arise each day, one who wishes to be successful in
climbing the mountain of the Lord doesn’t give in, but applies the
lessons of Scripture and Church teaching to each situation. These
offer the way and the truth concerning how one can emerge from daily
difficulties unscathed and better prepared to climb the mountain of
the Lord.
3.
Become preoccupied with meeting God at the summit.
Since this mountain will challenge every level of one’s
being—physical, mental, and spiritual—success in climbing the
mountain of the Lord requires being preoccupied with meeting God at
the mountain’s summit. The mountain will tempt the mountain climber
to become preoccupied and perhaps overwhelmed by other things—those
inevitable physical, mental, and spiritual challenges—that
will arise during the climb up the mountain. Yet, the
successful mountain climber does not become distracted by these
challenges, but works with them and through them to achieve success.
Notice that these three also are about all about developing
self-discipline, namely, the self-discipline that not only
strengthens someone who wants to succeed in climbing the mountain of
the Lord but also which prepare this person to deal with the
inevitable challenges that will arise while one is climbing up this
mountain. Absent these basic self-disciplines, climbing the
mountain of the Lord may be the most competitive of sports. But, it
may also end up being the most deadly spiritual sport.
What spurs those who succeed in climbing the mountain of the Lord so
that they will rise to the inevitable challenges? One thing is for
sure: it is not the reward of a spectacular view at the
mountain’s summit accompanied by an intoxicating feeling John Denver
memorialized with the hit song “Rocky Mountain High.” No, on this
mountain, one is spurred onward by the spiritual experience of
knowing that one will encounter God and be filled with what St. Paul
called “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, [that]
will guard your hearts and your minds...” (Philippians 4:9).
When someone is successful in climbing the mountain of the Lord,
this person will know that “salvation is near at hand,” as St. Paul
told the Romans in today’s epistle (13:11-14). But, that salvation
will not be accomplished until the mountain climber “puts on the
Lord Jesus Christ” and descends the Lord’s
mountain to engage in the transformation of all things in Christ
through one’s
words
and actions.
The experience of having encountered God at the summit doesn’t mean
that everything in life will be clear and unchanging or that the
different pieces of daily life will always fit neatly together.
What it does mean is that those who successfully climb the mount of
the Lord will grow in grace and wisdom and their progress will be
measured by the peace they experience in the sure knowledge that God
dwells within. This experience of peace and the sure knowledge they
will possess provides all of the inner resources needed to remain
calm and unhurried in using one’s
words
and actions to teach others what it means to live as one of God’s
beloved sons and daughters.
This spiritual experience on the mountain of the Lord introduced
these successful mountain climbers to a different way of living
because, as Henry David Thoreau wrote, “They listen to a different
drummer.” Descending from this mountain and returning home,
even when they must confront great problems and competing demands,
these will not overwhelm these successful mountain climbers.
Do
you believe that inner peace will change our lives and,
through us, will change the world? If so, the place where
all of that begins is when we decided to climb the mountain of the
Lord so that we will meet God and experience the peace that comes
from resting at its summit, “being still, and knowing that I am
God.”
This is what it takes if we are truly serious about making things
straight in our lives with God and witnessing to that relationship
through our words and actions. The prophet Isaiah promises us that
the world will change and we will see “All nations
streaming toward it; many people coming and saying: ‘Come let us
climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he
may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his ways’.”
The season of Advent is the period of time for climbing the mountain
of the Lord so that we will meet God and rest confidently in him.
It is the time for us to get things straight with God so that we
will experience that “peace which is beyond all human understanding”
and, after we descend the mountain of the Lord on Christmas eve, we
will be capable of giving that gift to others on Christmas day
through our words and actions.
Yes, climbing the mountain of the Lord is extremely arduous
physical, mental, and spiritual work. But, perhaps even more
difficult is taking the first step: to leave everything behind and
to exercise so that we will begin climbing the mountain of the Lord
this season of Advent.
A brief
commercial break...
As
Catholics, we prepare for Christ's coming by celebrating the season
of Advent. During these four weeks, we prepare the way for Christ
to come into our lives each and every day, not just on Christmas
day. For Catholic families, let me suggest five practical ways to
prepare for Christ's coming:
1. Place
an advent wreath in the center of your dinner table. Each
evening before sitting down for dinner, have one member offer a
prayer of thanksgiving to God for
the gift
of life, recall by name those who matter the most in the family's
life, and name one thing that
individual will do before the day ends to meet
a family member's
need. The individual offering the prayer will then
light the
appropriate candle(s).
Looking for
an advent wreath?
The best advent wreath (and Christmas
wreath, by the way) is made of holly not evergreen. The elements of
holly (the holly itself and the red berries) recall the crucifixion
of Christ. He was crowned with thorns. The thorns bit into his
brow, causing red drops of blood to flow. No color is more
associated with Christmas than red, the color of Good Friday. This
symbolism is consistent with scripture: "By the Lord's stripes we
are healed." So, the holly is green, a color associated with life
and hope—reminding us of the birth of the Savior—and the berries are
red—reminding us of how the gift of eternal life has been won for us
through the blood of Christ.
I
don't think it's easy to find holly wreathes, but then, I've never
looked for one! I do know that a round metal wire holder
and plastic holly branches can be purchased at Michael's. That
would do the trick. Then remember: three purple and one pink
candle. And, don't forget to place the Advent calendar on the front
of the refrigerator.
2. Use
an Advent calendar.
Hang an
advent calendar on the refrigerator door beginning on December 1st.
Each morning, before everyone scatters for the day, have one member
of the family open one door and read the scripture verse or describe
the biblical scene behind the door. This is a great way for family
members to keep focused on the coming of Christ for the rest of the
day.
3. Make
a Jesse tree. The Jesse tree is the traditional way that
Catholics recall Jesus' heritage, coming from the line of King
David, the son of Jesse. Have members of the family make a symbol
for each day of Advent that marks an important moment in Israel's
history (e.g., Noah's ark, Jacob's ladder, Moses' stone tablets,
David's harp). Then, each evening before everyone goes to bed,
gather the family around the Jesse tree, have the family member
explain the symbol, and hang it on the tree.
4.
Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th. One way to
"put Christ back into Christmas" is to reclaim the faith-filled life
of heroic virtue revealed in the great Christian saint, St. Nicholas
of Myra. Besides sharing simple gifts with family members, like
placing candy in shoes that have been left outside of the bedroom
door, share some time with people who are alone, in the hospital,
convalescing, etc.
5.
Celebrate God's mercy. Advent is a particularly fitting time
for every member of the family to welcome the light of God's
forgiveness into the dark places of family life. Gather the family
together and go to church to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance
together. Then, go out for pizza to celebrate God's mercy and a new
beginning free from sin.
By
participating in these five practical activities to prepare for
Christmas day, Catholic families will not only have contemplated
their need for God and God's self-revelation through salvation
history. In addition, they will have experienced God present and
active in their family's life. Then, on Christmas day, when family
members greet one another by saying, "Merry Christmas," they all
will truly be prepared to celebrate the Mass wherein Christ will
strengthen and nourish them with his body and blood to bring Christ
to the world.
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HOMILY
