The great French poet and theologian, Paul Claudel (1868-1955), once said: “Speak about Christ only when you are asked. But live so that people ask about Him.” This quote eloquently summarizes Claudel’s profound faith. Claudel, a deeply spiritual Catholic poet, meditated at length on what the Church taught him. Throughout his life, as evidenced in his writing, Paul was filled with ecstasy and wonder as he celebrated his faith, his hope, and his love.
Today, we are invited to do the same - meditate, reflect, and ponder our faith during this blessed season of Advent. In this time, the Church gives us an opportunity to respond to God’s invitation to deepen our very own faith, hope and love. In order to respond to Him, we must take a moment and see how He is calling us to do so.
Paul Claudel’s work has captivated many readers by his profoundness of thought, his enthusiasm of faith and deep sense of joy. In one of his writings, Présence et Prophétie, Claudel speaks of angels and the fulfillment of their mission: “From the angel of paradise to the angel of the Apocalypse, who swears that time is no more, from the angels who flog Heliodorus to the one who guides the child Tobias, from the angel who consoles Hagar to the one who delivers St. Peter, all sacred history is visited by these formidable, instructive, and sympathetic brothers. But the culmination of their ambassadorial functions is Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin of Nazareth that ‘you have found favor with God’ and that ‘the power of the Most High shall overshadow you’ (Lk 1:30, 35). (Présence, 257)”
As Mary made her fiat1, we are called to follow in her footsteps and accept God’s invitation to increase our faith and deepen our joy. Just as throughout the Sacred Scriptures, these “sympathetic brothers” delivered messages, so too today, God continues to reveal Himself in our very brothers and sisters.
So, the question remains, how do we respond? Are we so wrapped up in the secular things of this season that we are blind to the crib in our midst inviting us to say yes?
Just as I began with Paul Claudel’s quote of speaking about Christ, we need to be aware that through our actions and way of life we should be inviting others to meet him. I recently read an article by Cardinal Dolan who tells a great story about Advent. The Cardinal repeats this story on the first Sunday of Advent every year, he says:
His first Advent in New York was numerous years ago. He became fumed as he processed up the aisle at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass, because he saw that the crib scene already up!
After Mass he said to the rector, “What’s going on? It’s Advent. We don’t put the crib up until Christmas!”
“Well,” the rector replied, “fine, but, keep in mind that between now and Christmas over two million people will come here to St. Patrick’s. They’ll see candy canes, snowmen, reindeer, and Santa out there; shouldn’t they see the crib at least in here?”
“Besides,” he concluded. “Take a look. The crib is empty. Jesus is not there. He’ll arrive on Christmas. The manger scene waits.”
The Cardinal continues: “Advent invites us to look at the world and our lives as an empty crib awaiting a baby.” (Catholic New York, Dec. 2017)
The invitation to bring Christ into this world was made so many years ago by an angel to a young woman. She answered with her fiat and so today, the invitation for us is the same to say “yes” to God. Only this time, the invitation comes through our brothers and sisters. Just as the crib sits in St. Patrick’s, so too, we must keep a place in our hearts waiting to welcome the Christ Child this December 25th. In doing so, we invite others to know Him through our very own fiat.
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1Mary's response to the angel was a "fiat" statement: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Or in Latin: "dixit autem Maria ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum et discessit ab illa angelus"
Rev. Scott J. Pontes, MA, M.Div.
Academic Dean of Religion
Oratory Prep School
Summit, NJ