Our Annual End of the World Party

Back in the early 80s there was a certain amount of worry, due to the cold war, nuclear proliferation, and believe it or not--"global cooling" theories--that the world  might soon come to an end.

I recall from that era  a gallows humor cartoon in the New Yorker depicting  an upper crust cocktail party. A woman in pearls  and evening gown was saying, "Of course the world will probably come to an end in our lifetime. But really, darling, let's  keep our sense of humor about it."

Not a bad sentiment  for Advent, that.

Besides reflecting on the wonders of the Incarnation,  marveling at the glorious conundrum of  Helpless Infant = Mighty Creator of the Universe, there's something else we should be doing: longing. Joyously longing.

Longing for what? Not the birth in the manger. That's already happened. All that can't wait-can't wait-oh,will it ever get here?  happy impatience that we build up in the kids with decorations, trees, lights, and a final toy bonanza is to train ourselves to project that longing onto something else entirely.

The Second, final, coming of Jesus.  The end of the world. We're supposed to really want that to happen. So badly that just the waiting for it makes us giddy with delight and anticipation.

Which is not easy to do.  Although it's true we don't know the day or the hour, I can pretty much guarantee it won't happen today or tomorrow. There's a whole lot of bad stuff that has to happen first. Stuff that many of us would not  live through. Although the much popularized "rapture" is  heresy, the anti-Christ and  massive persecution of Christians is not. As the Catechism explains:
675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.⁵⁷³ The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth⁵⁷⁴ will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth...
677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.⁵⁷⁸ The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.⁵⁷⁹ God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgement after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.⁵⁸⁰

And we're supposed to be  longing for this?

Yes. Think of Advent as a pep rally for the coming Armageddon match between good and evil.
The idea is to cultivate an attitude:
 the men marked with the cross of Christ go gaily in the dark....the men  that drink the blood of God go singing to their shame. (everybody else quotes Chesterton on their blogs, so this is my turn.)

In the event that we are not lucky enough to witness the end of all things,we can make use of the Advent Attitude  for our very own personal end  of all things, known as  death.

Check out today's (Friday, 1st week in Advent) Office of Readings, where St. Anselm helps us cultivate Advent longing. Here's most of it:

Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while, hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in him.Enter into your mind’s inner chamber. Shut out everything but God and whatever helps you to seek him; and when you have shut the door, look for him. Speak now to God and say with your whole heart: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I desire. 


Lord most high, what shall this exile do, so far from you? What shall your servant do, tormented by love of you and cast so far from your face?
Lord, you are my God and you are my Lord, and I have never seen you. You have made me and remade me, and you have given me all the good things I possess and still I do not know you. I was made in order to see you, and I have not yet done that for which I was made.
Lord, how long will it be? How long, Lord, will you forget us? How long will you turn your face away from us? When will you look upon us and hear us? When will you enlighten our eyes and show us your face? When will you give yourself back to us?Teach me to seek you, and when I seek you show yourself to me, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, nor can I find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in desiring you and desire you in seeking you, find you in loving you.


End of the World? Bring it on!
Or at least, let's keep our sense of humor about it. 

Nigerian priests, American housewives,and Morning Prayer

This post comes  from reader Nancy Allen. Besides telling of her  efforts to fit the Liturgy of the Hours into a busy life, she gives us a great reflection  about the  unity - in- diversity of  the Church. (In other words, its catholicity.)  

Today, when you say Morning or Evening Prayer, think of the many bishops, priests, religious, and lay people in every nation,every race, and every language, with whom you are spiritually  united in offering the sacrifice of praise that is the Divine Office. 

Hi Daria,

     I follow your blog on Kindle. Originally I'm  from Canton, Ohio, which has a  a very large percentage of Catholics. That's where I first learned how to recite the Liturgy of the Hours. I didn't find it particularly easy to learn the ins and outs of the Breviary but now, after 14 years of reciting it, I think I might have it!

   Now  I live in a small rural town in Eastern Oregon with a low percentage of Catholics. 

     Before starting a new job last year  I used to meet  daily with Nigerian priests and two other women to recite Morning Prayer. Our diocese had a shortage of priests and it is very large and remote in places. Priests usually take care of a main parish and up to three missions, with both English and Spanish speaking parishoners. They work extremely hard but not many  priests  seemed eager to come here. 

     We reached out for help to Nigeria and they responded. We now have many Nigerian missionary priests who are fantastic. Our parish has become the starting point for all of the new Nigerian priests coming to the diocese before they are sent out to their own parishes. Each one stationed here has been willing and eager to meet for Morning Prayers. We sing, chant, the whole nine yards and we laugh a lot when we make a mistake or sing particularly badly.

Nancy and Father Francis Obijekwu

     I sometimes reflect on the incredible nature of our Faith as  we all sit together in prayer somewhere in the world. People from so many different places, from farms and cities, and different circumstances in life. At times when our little handful was praying the Divine Office, we'd be huddled in a small room. It might be  still dark outside and  snowing-- we'd  have driven through snow and ice to get there (I'd often have to stop on my way for a herd of elk to cross the road). And here sat a priest from Africa waiting for us, who himself had  come from  half way across the globe, ready and happy to recite the prayers of the Church with three American housewives. Despite our different backgrounds,  we were all "on the same page" so to speak, praying the same prayers, using the same actions, united as one.

     I had to begin working full time a year ago, so I can no longer meet with them, but they still continue to get together.I begin my day at 4:45am each morning and also help to take care of a small farm and livestock. Due to the work load I was becoming lax in my daily prayers and needed motivators, so I found your blog.

    - Nancy Allen in Oregon

Thank you, Nancy,for sharing this with us!

Stories like Nancy's inspire us.  They keep us motivated and aware that we are all praying together, uniting our voices to that of Jesus as He prays to His Father. Do you have a Divine Office story to tell? Send it to thesockeys@gmail.com