Fr. JC Maximilian

For the past three weeks I have been sharing the reflections of Fr. Alfred Delp on the meaning of Advent, as found in a book collecting some of his homilies and writings, Advent of the Heart. Fr. Delp was a Jesuit priest who was martyred by the Nazis during the Second World War.

During the first week of Advent, Fr. Delp helped us to consider how Advent is a time for us to experience a great shaking of our hearts. This shaking of the heart forces us to reassess just what is real in life, and to stop clinging to things that can only give us a false sense of security. I mentioned how the current economic crisis, while very different from living in the middle of a world war like Fr. Delp and his parishioners were, also has provided a great shaking of our hearts. Many people have seen their carefully made plans for their financial security collapse. It has reminded us that money and material possessions will never bring us true happiness. Only God can fulfill the deepest desires of our hearts. The shaking of our hearts arouses us from the drowsiness which we are too often prone to fall into, so that we can recommit ourselves to clinging to God alone.

The message of the second week of Advent was authenticity. When standing before the Ultimate, the Absolute – when standing before God, we must lay aside all compromise and all lies. Living authentically means witnessing to the truth about God and our being His children. Fr. Delp pointed out that we cannot allow concern for our own personal security to make us inauthentic persons. We are called by our baptism to be prophets. Like St. John the Baptist, we need to proclaim the Truth of the Gospel in charity, even when we might face ridicule, rejection and even persecution. We also cannot do nothing just because we are afraid that we will be ineffective in being witnesses. One voice can make a difference because of the power of God that is working through that voice that He has chosen to work through.

Last week, Fr. Delp told us that the third message of Advent is Confession. By confession we mean the public declaration and affirmation of a set of beliefs. Actually it is more a public declaration of our relationship with Christ Jesus, and all that that entails. We declare that God is Lord, and we are His children. As His children, we need to trust in Him. We need to know absolutely that He loves us and only wants the best for us, and then not doubt Him, even when things are not going as we might like them to go.

This week Fr. Delps brings us to the capstone; the message that ties all the other messages together and gives them real meaning. This final message of Advent is the fundamental attitude that all of us who call ourselves Christian must have – the fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is a somewhat older phrase; in fact in teaching the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to children today, we often call this “awe and wonder.” What do we mean by the attitude or gift of Fear of the Lord?

First, lets be clear about what we do NOT mean by it. Fear of the Lord is NOT being afraid of God. “There is no greater injustice to God the Lord than the calculated trembling and timidity of a slave or a dog, the cowardly fear of a person who expects to lose something or who feels threatened by some kind of danger that might come upon him from this God” (Delp, Advent of the Heart, pp. 126-127). Remember: GOD IS LOVE! He did not need to create us. He created us not as play things or pets. God wants to share His love with us. The old meaning of “fear of the Lord” that we should rediscover is that God is Lord. It means “knowing the absolute, inalienable dominion of the Lord of all” (Delp, p. 127). We “must learn again – really, personally, practically and daily – to reckon with God as the ultimate category of reality, as the decisive judgment of all that exists” (Delp, p. 127).

While that all may sound so simple – and in truth it is simple – we are people who too often lack the clarity of this truth. We are not alone. The ancient Israelites often also lacked this clarity. This is what St. Paul is noting in today’s second reading. Quoting from several places in the Old Testament, St. Paul notes that often the people focused on the sacrifices, offerings and holocausts in a very ritualistic way in which God took no delight. They just wanted to fulfill a formal duty of the Law, while not really seeking to do the will of God. They wanted to do the minimum, hoping that would fulfill their duties towards God. But God did not want just a little part of them, He wanted all of them, their entire heart, mind and soul.

Things have not changed. God still finds no delight in mere ritualistic fulfilling of some duty. God still wants all of us; our entire heart, mind and soul. One of the saddest questions a priest or deacon is asked is “How much of the Mass do I need to be at in order to fulfill my Sunday obligation?” This is a very minimalist view of God; God is seen as very distant and far away, and if they just give Him the minimum they can keep God in a nice little box. This is what can lead to the wrong understanding of “fear of the Lord” as being afraid of God. If things are not going as we would like, we think that maybe we just need to put in a few more tokens at church to turn God back to our side.

That is not how it works. We cannot love just a little bit. We either love God or we don’t. If we are really going to be followers of Christ, we need to follow Him unreservedly – with all our heart, mind and soul. This true “fear of the Lord” recognizes God’s dominion over everything and His infinite Love for us. This authentic fear of the Lord sets us free. Not only do we no longer fear doing just enough to appease God, but we no longer fear other people. Why? Because we know that we are in the hands of the Lord of Lords, the Ultimate, the Absolute – in the hands of God who loves us.

Elizabeth recognized this authentic fear of the Lord in both herself and in Mary. This is why the child lept in her womb, because the “voice calling in the wilderness” recognized the Word. Because Mary had true fear of the Lord, Elizabeth could proclaim, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary did not fear what others might say about her, or how she would be able to be the mother of God. She feared God, confident in His love for her.

God loves us just as completely. Do we have the proper fear of the Lord? Are we ready to stand in His presence? He is coming. He is here.