December 8: Could Nachos Be Bad?

Second Sunday of Advent

It seems the early Church had a different view of Advent than we do. Christmas was not even celebrated in the first two centuries after Christ. Easter was the original great feast of the Church. After the resurrection, Christians looked for Jesus to return in glory. They expected this return to happen soon, so we see references in Paul’s letters to the “coming of the Lord Jesus” (1 Thess 3:13) or to the “day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) So in a sense, the rest of their lives were a long Advent, a time of waiting for the Lord.

In the second reading this week, we hear what Paul recommends for the people of Philippi as they wait for the Lord to return. He prays that their love will grow and mature, so that they will be able to “discern what is of value.” (Phil 1:10) This may sound vague, but is very good advice, even for us today.

As we grow to be better Christians, we learn to love what is important. Remember when you were young and loved junk food? As you grew up, you learned to like healthier foods. That doesn’t mean that some foods are bad, (how could nachos be bad?) just that there are better choices. So Paul encourages us to make better choices: friends we like, books we read, how we spend our free time, causes we donate to, and values we teach to our children. For example, it is good to teach our children to work hard and save money; it may be better to teach them to answer God’s call and to be generous to the poor. A good way to relax might be reading a novel by our favorite author; a better way could be reading a good spiritual book.
With less than three weeks of Advent remaining, let us ask the Lord to help us “discern what is of value” in our lives. We also await His coming and we have the advantage of knowing that the Lord comes to us in Word and Sacrament. We don’t have to wait for the end of time or even till Christmas, so why not try to be ready now?

Tom Schmidt