1.- NO SOUP, NO DESSERT
I was enjoying a delicious meal with a family. All of a sudden I heard the mother telling her little son: «No soup, no dessert». What does it mean? I discovered that the mother valued soup over dessert. She was putting healthy nourishment above pleasure. Actually, what she was trying to do was to motivate her little boy to eat good, healthy food. That healthy food, very well planned by her, was served in a delicious vegetable soup. That was necessary and mandatory for a healthy meal. Dessert wouldn’t be necessary nor mandatory. Dessert would be more like a reward for the boy’s effort that he would have to make to take good care of his health by eating a dish of healthy soup.
2.- NO ADVENT, NO CHRISTMAS
Today, December 1st, 2019, is the first Sunday of Advent. It is the beginning of the season of preparation for Christmas. Meditating about Advent, I was thinking, for my own purpose, that «No Advent, no Christmas». If I don’t try to understand Advent I will not be able to understand Christmas. Without Advent, Christmas will not be more than a Winter pagan festival with a crib.
In the first reading, Isaiah tells us about his dream: «Many peoples will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war». It is obvious that this can be a tremendous challenge for each one of us. Paul, in the second reading, shakes all of us to wake up now. Our salvation is nearer… In the Gospel, Jesus repeats the same invitation by saying «Stay awake, because you don’t know the day when your master is coming».
3.- WAS BUDDHA A GOD?
A man came to Buddha and asked him: «Tell me Buddha, are you a God?» «No. I am not». «Are you an angel»? «No. I am not.» «Are you a prophet?» «No, not a prophet either.» «What are you then?» Whereupon Buddha answered: «I am awake».
4.- ADVENT, TIME OF RENEWAL
After a meeting, I went with other people to a coffee shop for a cup of coffee. After ordering the coffee, I thought that it would be a good idea to have some kind of pastry. Then I asked if someone else would like to have a pastry too. Fatima answered that she only eats sweets on Sundays. My answer was that it would be a good idea for me too, for health reasons, and to do a little penance. Fatima’s answer was: «Well we are going to start Advent. It is a good time to start”. I said thank you and decided to make my Lent during Advent too. That would be part of my Advent penance. Would you like to join me?
Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade