Each Saturday morning during Advent, at 6 A.M., before dawn, over thirty students and a couple of staff and even a few visiting parents walk up Chapel Hill carrying lighted candles, protecting the little flame of faith from wintry assaults. They are headed to the chapel for the Rorate Mass. The words of the old Latin Mass began “Rorate caeli…” “Drop down dew from heaven; let the earth bud forth the Saviour.”
The image of carrying candles before dawn is profound for us – coming up and out of darkness – waiting for the start of the new day’s light. We enter the chapel in silence – place our candles before the image of Jesus and his holy Mother and enter into Mass by candle light.
This first Rorate Mass we reflected on waiting, not as a passive thing to be done from an armchair, as in a doctor’s office, but hearing the prophet Isaiah, we’re to be like farmers who plant seeds and then watch – and shepherds who watch for the safety and wellbeing of their flocks.
Waiting is the key word for Advent. We’re patiently waiting for God to heal our wounds as he’s promised. But in the gospel for the day, Jesus sets us right. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons – do – give.” Trust God’s promises? Yes. But also do your part to bring about God’s rule. The first part requires patience. The second part requires courage…
What does this have to do with living here? Heal. Raise up. Drive out. We have to stop taking each other down around here: running our mouths, slandering people, using offensive humor that we then excuse as just joking, empty – idle talk. We need to turn all of this around and start to talk with each other in ways that build up and encourage. We’re going to spend a lot of money at Christmas buying gifts – but this creating of friendship, this raising up and healing of people who come here sick and like dead men walking – this would be the neatest Christmas gift we could give to others here.
