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1st Sunday of
Advent, Cycle A
Terranuova Hermitage
December 1, 2013
Darters, Strollers, and
Those Who Heed
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P.
Amato
Darters and Strollers
Well, here we are,
in the busiest shopping days of the year.
Several years ago, I
read some comments by an author named Robert Winters. He makes some observations about the shopping
malls at Christmas.
Winters says that in
a mall these days, there is one narrowly missed collision after another. He describes two kinds of shoppers, and I think
we can easily imagine them.
First, there are the
darters. These people are walking along
and then suddenly something catches their eye.
The darters
immediately change direction and dart over to look at a Keurig coffee maker or
a Hollister shirt or whatever it is.
They move so quickly that you have to put on the brakes real fast to
avoid bumping into them.
And then there the
strollers. These people walk like a
bridal party slowly making their way down the aisle.
The strollers are
just strolling along, taking in each piece of merchandise. They are captivated by everything.
Robert Winters says
that the darters and the strollers have one thing in common. Both of them are so wrapped in the things
they are seeing that they are unmindful and not heeding the other shoppers
around them.
Today’s Gospel
These observations
about darters and strollers help us to appreciate today’s gospel.
Jesus is talking
about his second coming and he refers back to the time of Noah. He says: “In
those days people were eating and drinking and marrying, up to the day Noah
entered the ark.
“They knew nothing until the flood came and swept them
away. So will it be at the coming of the
Son of Man.”
Now there is nothing
wrong with eating and drinking and getting married. So why were these people swept away?
Jesus gives the
answer. He says: “Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken and one will be
left.
“Two women will be grinding meal; one will be taken and
one will be left.”
Notice: those who are taken and ready for the Lord will not be doing
anything different in terms of their occupation or activity.
Everyone will be
busy with the things of life. But those
who are ready for the Lord will be doing these things in a different way.
They will be what I
will call “heeders” – spelled H-E-E-D-E-R-S.
They will be heeding both God and those around them as they do their
things in life.
Heeders
Practically speaking, what might
it mean to be a heeder rather than a darter or a stroller?
Heeders reserve some time each
day for prayer. They maintain some inner
space for quiet, for being in touch with God.
In this way, heeders remain
aware of the spiritual. They see all the
items and decorations as good but remain aware that only our relationship with
God brings happiness and fulfillment in the long run.
Heeders also probably try to
grow in their faith. They don’t stay
stuck in the understanding of God that they learned as children.
Heeders are awake to what God is
saying to them personally, today in the gospels. They are awake to new possibilities maybe
about God’s unconditional love or about our response of social justice, things
like that.
Heeders carefully reserve time
for their husband or wife or children or close friend. They are not submerged in their job or
self-absorbed in some way.
Heeders are attentive to
persons, the important persons in their lives and those they are with at any
given moment. They stay attentive to
persons as making up what life is really all about.
And heeders care for those in
need. They don’t blame the poor for
their plight.
Heeders are alert to the pain of
the sick, to the suffering of the depressed, or the desperation of the hungry
or homeless. They are alert to Jesus
being present in these persons.
Conclusion
So, the message today: don’t be
a darter or a stroller. Don’t be just
wrapped up and absorbed in the material things of the season.
Instead, be a heeder. We may be doing some of the same things as
everyone else, but remain aware, awake, attentive, and alert to what really
matters.
