saint Paul and Advent

originally published Oct 28 2014

Saint Paul is a good guy. In fact, he's one of my favourites. I don't mind saying it, I play favourites amongst the saints and patrons. I like Paul because he brazenly and loving just tells me what to do. Check this out:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Paul speaks here to the Romans, who were notorious for not being particularly good.  But we most of us are notorious for our inability to overcome evil in this way.  It's crazy.

It's crazy.  To think for even a minute that we could overcome evil with good.

FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO HAS HURT YOU.  To forgive does good for the other...especially when they know of the forgiveness.  But when we forgive, the floodgates of relief open up in our own soul.  We make more room for Christ.

I was shocked to discover that next Saturday will be November 1st.  This year, it's my goal to be ready for Advent.  I will not allow it to sneak up on me as it has in the past.  But I can start today.  Getting ready.

Advent is a time for preparing for the great feast of the Birth of Christ.  What better time to practice overcoming evil with good.  To practice forgiveness.  Whatever the hurt, whatever the injustice, whatever the slander, however small or large the evil was that wounded us...we can forgive the other.

Saint Paul cuts to the heart of Advent, or preparation.  Virtually every address he makes to his people,  his Collosians, his Romans, his Ephesians, his Galatians, Phillipians, Thessalonians...and others, he speaks of love and forgiveness and preparing for our Lord.

It's hard to forgive.  Why is that?  I think it's because we feel like we are going to suffer.  It is going to be humiliating to address someone kindly when we feel they have wronged us.  But the suffering is brief.  And Saint Paul says this:

"We rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; character, hope."

And when we ponder, what it might be like to stand before someone who has hurt us, who we must forgive, who we vehemently do not want to forgive and we want to revel in our anger and pain, and we think to ourselves, "I'm not strong enough.  I'm not loving enough, I'm not good enough...to say the words of forgiveness that I need to say..."

We can drop our arms to our sides, we can stop fighting it, we can give in and give up and give it all to God.  We can get ready.

We can say this, another quote from Saint Paul, we can pray this...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.