When asked in casual conversation what I do for a living, my answer--“I teach middle school”--is commonly met with the reply--”Oh.” Then, I change the subject, because I couldn’t begin to explain how much I love and appreciate middle schoolers’ unique blend of frenetic energy, refreshing candor, and deep faith. They keep me on my toes, they prevent me from taking myself too seriously, and they motivate me to pray more and more. In the Church’s prayer of the final phase of Advent, we encounter a different kind of “O” in the “O Antiphons” from December 17 to 24. We cry out in fervent prayer and joyful expectancy:
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love;
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
Christ, the wisdom and the Word of God, has, in one sense, already come. God the Son-- the Christ at the center of Christmas-- was present at the dawn of creation, and spoke us into being. The three persons of the Trinity willed that humans be a reflection of the divine: “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). Whenever we take time to prepare our hearts before Mass, we participate in an abbreviated Advent and Christmas, and Christ truly makes his home in us.
Christ, in another sense, has not yet come: we await the joyful celebration of Christmas and the final advent on the Last Day. Mindfulness of life’s shortness, rather than causing one to be fearful of death, can motivate active participation in the Church community and lifelong study of Scripture. At the end of my life, I like to imagine God asking me, “So how did you like my Book?” ...and I want to be able to respond to Him, sharing my favorite parts of salvation history, and asking questions about the chapters that I puzzled over for years. Hebrews 4:12 proclaims:
“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”
This Christmas vacation, take a moment or two to encounter Christ in Scripture. Let it touch your heart, heal your soul, and refresh your spirit in this time of busy-ness.
-Sarah Wright, Middle School Religion Teacher
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| Storyboard for a stop-motion film based on Genesis 33, when Jacob and Esau meet and reconcile |
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