Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42
“To maintain this state of alertness we need to struggle, for we all have the tendency to live with our eyes fixed on the things of the earth. Especially during the time of Advent let us not forget that our hearts are darkened by gluttony and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so lose sight of the supernatural dimension which every action of ours should have as its milieu.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 1 (London: Scepter, 1993) 6.
As we approach Christmas, notice what makes you most excited. That shows where your heart is.
On Friday night, my wife and I watched a cute animated movie on Netflix called, “The Star.” The main characters included a donkey, a bird, a sheep, three wise men, some nefarious characters, and of course, Mary and Joseph.
We both cried at the end, tears of joy because against all odds, we saw the birth of Jesus.
It was one of the highlights of my Advent season because it helped me enter into the story of the real-life human difficulties Mary and Joseph faced leading up to the birth of Jesus, including a king who wanted the baby dead.
All that said, the reason that movie comes to mind links to the star.
The animals saw it. They knew something special was happening. We might miss it if our hearts are darkened with gluttony, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. Watch it. See for yourself.
And don’t lose sight of the supernatural dimension. Live in that milieu every minute of every day.