Father Chris – FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2021 – Homily

 "The Child Waits for God"

If we look at the journey of life, especially a life of Faith, we will find there are really only two players: ourselves and the Creator, God and us, interacting in a complex relationship of praise and petition, suffering and well-being, pain and pleasure, giving and receiving, sorrow and love, peace and surrender.


God, the main character, is a Being of vast dimensions and definitions we can never hope to grasp or understand. While we, difficult to define as well, play our parts, moving from Act 1, Scene 1, all the way to Act 4 and the conclusion of our stories.
We might consider these 4 Acts as 4 phases of development in our lives: our Childhood, Youth, years as an Adult, and finally, Elders in our old age.


This relationship between ourselves and God, our life story of interaction with our Creator, especially comes into play with great importance at this time of year, the Four Sundays of Advent. But are our experiences during Advent simply the same year after year? Or are they shaped by these four contrasting chapters of our life? How have we, how can we, and how will we experience God during this exciting, expectant time, given where we are in our life journey, waiting for and anticipating God over these next four weeks?


Today, we look at ‘Childhood’, our own and that of our children, and we ask what was our relationship with God like when we were a child, and what might our children’s relationship with God be?


Some will hardly remember being a child, perhaps recalling only specific incidents or happy events. Others can surprisingly remember the images on the wall-paper next to their cribs as infants. Most of us will remember the first little struggles and first successes: the first day at school, the first report card (a pleasant or unpleasant memory), our best friend, the fight with the new kid on the block, the milestones like birthdays, and glorious Christmas mornings. But we may also remember a painful illness or emotional suffering, maybe from abuse or abandonment.


But how do we remember Advent? Where was God in our busy little lives? Was he a constant companion or just a baby in a crib at Christmas or a sad man on a cross?


There is a notion that children, until about six yrs old, are still connected with God who remains present to them for a period of time like a playmate in their daily activities until they begin to mature into the human beings God intends them to be.


Austin Ruse published a book (in 2017) called, “Littlest Suffering Souls: Children Whose Short Lives Point Us to Christ.” One of these children was Brendan Kelly, not only born with Down Syndrome, but suffering without complaint from cancer. But what was truly remarkable was his relationship with his best friend, ‘Jesus’!


At the age of two, the same year they discovered Brendan had leukemia, he would cry until they handed him a crucifix, so he could kiss it. After 3 years of treatment, and remission, his much-desired visit to see the pope happened thanks to the ‘Make a Wish Foundation’. “Me meet pope,” he would ask over and over. Through miraculous connections, not only did Brendan meet the pope, but Pope John-Paul II took him by the hand, so that Brendan could walk with him on his tour that day.


After his first confession, Brendan was seen by his father spending a very long time making his penance. His father said, “You must have been really bad to get such a long penance.” But Brendan replied, “I wasn’t doing my penance. I was talking with Jesus.” “Yes, he’s in the tabernacle,” said his father. “No,” said Brendan, “he’s in the light above the tabernacle. Can’t you see him?” But the place was completely dark. There was no light above the tabernacle. After many more such encounters, the priest, Fr Drummond, was convinced Brendan was a mystic. Meanwhile, Brendan prayed constantly, especially for suffering children, couple’s marital problems, and men and women who needed jobs or needed help with them.


Brendan suffered 2 more bouts of leukemia before his death at age 16. But he had astonished and inspired many with his claims Jesus was definitely alive and visible to him everywhere. Jesus, his best friend, was as tangible as everyone else.


Parents, teach your children to pray. Help them experience an Advent to remember. Tell them Jesus is always with them, that he is their best friend, he will guide them, heal them, protect them their whole life long. And let us pray for these parents and their children. Let us give them our love and support as a true Christian community.


– Rev Fr Chris Tracey, Saint Joseph Parish, Saugeen Shores, Ontario