WATCH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Youth Mass for the First Sunday of Advent is, “Watch!”

It’s the final word and the theme of today’s gospel.

It’s an Advent theme - as we begin the season of Advent this Sunday.

Watch!

We know what the word means - because we know what a watch is - even though a lot of people are using their cell phones for watches these days.

Everyone watches the time - sometimes. What they watch for tells us what people are really interested in.

Watch people watch their watches. Watch people watch clocks - they know how many more minutes it is - till school is let out. Watch coaches screaming at quarterbacks and players to watch - especially with this gesture  [TWO  FINGERS  TO  THE  EYES].

Watch!

MOVIES AND SPORTS

We’ve all seen movies - with scenes about watching - about being alert. Soldiers are in a field - and it’s night time - and two soldiers are put on watch - for two hours - and then another two and then another two. And we see the good guys or the bad guys creeping up and sure enough the two soldiers on watch have fallen asleep - and then disaster strikes the camp.

Last Sunday as I was driving to Rehoboth Beach I was listening to the Ravens postgame show. Ray Rice said he was going to watch films later on that Sunday night for the upcoming Thanksgiving evening game. He said that this week there is no time off. We’re in the playoff hunt and we have to win.

Well, the Ravens won on Thanksgiving night. Evidently he and the others watched game film - looking for tendencies - patterns - how the 49ers play. . I would assume that the 49ers also watched film - but maybe some players were lazy and fell asleep while watching the film.

WATCH FOR GOD

The message for today in church is all about watching for God.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64: 2-7 is a prayer that God will return - and no longer hide his face from us - so God we  are watching for you.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah is a call of hope that God will come down from the heavens - the mountains will quake and shake - and God will show up.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah is a hope that God will show up when we’re doing what is right - not what is wrong.

Today’s gospel - Mark 13: 33-37 - has the image of man who owns a house and puts his servants in charge of various jobs - and he tells the gatekeeper as he leaves on a journey to be on the watch - because he might come home in the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning. You never know!

This took place before I-Phones and TV cameras or what have you.

We hear this story and several similar stories with many of the readings near the end of the Church year and at the beginning of the Church year.

There are all kinds of evidence that people in the Early Church - some 2000 years ago - thought the world was about to end - and Jesus was about to come back again.

He didn’t. We’re still here.

So the world falls asleep when it comes to God.

How about you? Has God come to you yet?

Are you watching for God?

THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST

The first coming of Christ was a total surprise. Who would believe that God would come as a little baby - a helpless little baby?

What hits me every time I hear these stories is that God does not follow my script, my plan, my will, my imagination.

If you were a little kid and you were given a box of crayons or some clay, how would you draw God - or how would you form God as a clay statue? This idea is not too far fetched. This first reading from Isaiah pictures God as a potter who works with clay and surprise he made us. We are the work of his hands.

If I was writing the story, I would never have dreamed up God coming as a little baby.

I remember the movie “Oh God” and its sequel - when God comes as an old man: George Burns.

I remember hearing about a play in the early 1970’s where God is cast as a Puerto Rican Steambath attendant in New York City. It features people who have died and wake up in steam in a steam bath. They obsess about what they obsessed about in life. Bruce Jay Friedman - who wrote the play - said he got the idea when he was in a Chinese Restaurant. He got quite sick from the food and thought he was going to die.  Tandy - one of the main characters in the play - discovers he has died from food at a Chinese restaurant.

What do you obsess about? What do you drama king or drama queen about?

Wasn’t there another movie - called “Bruce Almighty” - when a TV reporter in Buffalo complains to God about life, so God gives him almighty powers? If we were given God Almighty powers, what would we do with them? Would we change life or the world? How so?

WATCHING MOVIES

What do people see - what do people watch - when they see  plays with God on stage - or movies on a screen? Does it get them to see life any different? Does it get them to see God any different?

In ancient Greece the gods appeared on stage - as the gods of love and war. Did people who watched those plays change in any way?

When the Jewish scriptures were read in synagogues - people listened to the stories about God coming as burning fire to Moses - or as power when enemies were killed - or as a tiny breeze - or as light. What did they imagine? What did they see? Did it change their lives? Did they love more? Did they care for others more? Did they take care of the poor and the sick and the handicapped more?

Why did God come as a baby?

That is the Christian belief.

ADVENT

We begin Advent today - and we move these 4 weeks to the re-celebration - the re-enactment - of something that happened 2000 years ago. We’ll hear the story again in the readings and the hymns - here in church and on the radio or in stores or malls where people are shopping . Listen carefully. You'll here in the background “Silent Night”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, “Joy To The World.” Every Catholic church has the crib - usually up front - with the straw and the stable - the sheep and the shepherds - the cow and the ox - and Mary and Joseph - and the baby Jesus.

What do people watch when they hear about this - and watch all this?

I would think it has more impact than movies with God as old man - or a Steambath attendant or as an Almighty Power speaking to a newspaper reporter in Buffalo.

I can say that because most Catholics who don’t go to Mass - come to Mass at least at Christmas. It’s called just that: Christmas - from Christ’s Mass.

And those who come the other 51 weeks of the year, do they see God coming in the bread - as food - and do they go out from mass and see Jesus in the challenges of the week - or as Paul discovered he saw Jesus in us - in people - especially those who need our love?

CONCLUSION

Watch life. Watch people. Watch how life works.

I don’t have any children. Those of you who have, how did your life change when you saw your life show up in the new life of a baby?

Watch the movie of your life - and bring that to prayer. Then work to make that movie better. Watch yourself in that movie.

Kids,  how have you changed the life of your parents by being part of the family you are part of?  Watch that film. Then go home and make that movie better. Watch yourself in that movie.