Be Patient because the Lord is coming soon

Third Sunday of Advent Year A

Though many would agree that patience is a virtue, it is often in short supply. We have an expression in Cantonese that best illustrates this lack of patience - “kanchiong” (pardon the self attempt at transliteration). Why is it so difficult for us to be patient, to wait?

Humans, or at least modern humans, are wired for instant self-gratification, to seek pleasure now, and modern life is filled with examples of quick satisfaction, from one-click shopping to instant messaging, to looking for the shortest Masses in town (best below 45 minutes). Impatience, which was once widely viewed as something negative is not seen in a more positive light, a sign of being busy or important, while waiting can be perceived as being lackadaisical. Being enslaved to digital technology does not help. The internet and streaming services provide on-demand content and information, reinforcing the expectation that things should be accessible immediately. Finally, experiencing uncertainty can make people want to control the present moment to make it as pleasant as possible, leading to irritation when there are delays.

Waiting for change and results can be frustrating when we are consumed by this impatient mindset. But the central message of our readings today is clear - transformation and change is certain, our Lord is coming without a doubt, our goal is within reach even if we still cannot see it. St James tells his readers in the second reading: “Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”

In the first reading, Israel speaks of how an arid desert suddenly blooms into lush green farmland. Though, we wet landers can never imagine this happening, this does occur in certain years when there is ample rainfall. But sometimes, you need to wait for months and even years before you see any substantial rain in these dry lands. The Prophet Isaiah’s description of the transformation of nature is, of course, not meant to be literal. The same could be said when he speaks of what seems to be medically impossible: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy…”

These images provide the background for John the Baptist’s question to our Lord in the gospel. “Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?” Or rather, “Is the desert blooming, or not, or do we have to wait for another year?” It is consoling that the great Baptist himself was impatiently waiting for the One he was preparing the people to receive. And the Lord comes back with a definitive yes: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. The miracles which our Lord performed were intended to confirm that He is the “One who is to come.” He is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy that the rains have come in the desert. Those who were thirsty are now experiencing the life that comes from the living waters of God.

What does all of this have to do with Advent? The virtue of Advent is patience. Most people have little patience for Christmas to happen. They are already putting up Christmas decorations, throwing parties and singing carols at the beginning of December, if not even earlier in November. Now, I don’t wish to sound like the Grinch who attempts to steal the Christmas joy from everyone. God knows how much we need joy in our lives these days! Joy, like patience, is in short supply too. But it is critical to recall once again that Advent isn’t first about Christmas (at least not until the 17th of December); it’s first about the Second Coming of the Lord. It is good to heed the words of St James in the second epistle as he brings to mind the image of a farmer waiting for his yield. The fruits of the earth take time. They cannot be rushed. The law of growth is rest. The soil must not be disturbed. Above all we must not disturb it ourselves by our own egoism. We must not turn it over and dig it up by anxieties and scruples. Anyone who grows things can understand the analogy. When you think about it like this, waiting for seeds to sprout—or for fruit to ripen—is very much like the waiting and the enduring patience which is required of Advent.

The patience of Advent is meant to train us far beyond the patience of waiting to open presents until Christmas, although we all know that such patience can feel like quite the trial when you’re at a certain age! We are waiting for the fulfillment of all things in Christ. We are waiting for the end of the world. We are waiting for the end of our own lives. We are waiting for judgment. We are waiting for God to act and no one is in control of God. We are waiting for a solution to the problem that hangs over our heads like the Sword of Damocles. But let us not forget - He sets the pace. He establishes the time and seasons. He determines the path and the final outcome. All we must do, is patiently and humbly wait upon Him.

But, this doesn’t mean that we have nothing to do. Growing in patience is hard work, you don’t just take it lying down. I’m often amused when people tell me that they need more patience because they find it unendurable to put up with vexing individuals in their lives. I will tell them: “God is indeed answering your prayers. How do you even think of growing in patience if you do not have these individuals in your life?” As hard edges sharpen knives, uncomfortable situations and persons can make a person stronger and more patient.

There are so many ways in which we can begin to cultivate and grow in patience this Advent season. We can grow in patience when we have no visible results for our prayers, sacrifices, and efforts. We can practice patience when we experience our many personal failures and see the failures of others. We can mature in patience when we feel helpless in the face of all the evil and injustice spreading in our world. We can practice patience as we see our Church riddled with scandals and threats of heresies. Our patience is strengthened when we endure many trials and temptations and overcome personal struggles. We grow in patience as we love the ones who irritate and annoy us. So don’t worry. Our patient God will provide us many moments to grow in this virtue of patience as well as the graces of being patient like Him. So, “be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”