Evergreen… all of us need to be awake: Fr Paddy O'Kane

When God was making the trees he set up a contest.

He told them ‘I want you to stay awake and keep watch over the earth for seven nights.’

The young trees were so excited to be trusted with such an important task that the first night they had no problem staying awake.

However, the second night was not so easy and just before dawn a few fell asleep.

On the third night the trees whispered among themselves in an effort to keep from dropping off.

Even so, it proved too much for some of them.

Still more fell asleep on the fourth night.

By the time the seventh night arrived the only trees still awake were the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the fir, the holly and the laurel.

‘What wonderful endurance you have’! God exclaimed.

‘You shall be given the gift of remaining green forever. You will be the guardians of the forest. Even in the seeming dead of winter, your brothers and sister trees will find life protected in your branches.’

Ever since then, according to the story, all the trees and plants lose their leaves and sleep all winter, while the evergreens stay awake.

This simple story illustrates the two major themes of Advent: wakefulness in the midst of sleepiness, and greenness [life] in the midst of barrenness (death).

In the evergreen trees we find a spirit of resolute defiance.

The surrounding world may be asleep or desolate, but these continue to bear witness.

They show us what the role of true Christians is in the world today when those who practice and live lives of faith are in the minority.

By your presence at Sunday Mass - when so many just sleep on in their warm beds - and by putting the Gospel into practice, you are doing just that.

Advent prods us to be awake among the sleeping, to be green in the midst of the barren and to be strong and brave in the face of the prevailing culture which limits our sight to this world.

It calls us to bear witness to love in the midst of hate, to peace in the mist of conflict, and to light in the midst of darkness.

In so doing we are responding to John the Baptist’s exhortation ‘’ prepare ye the way of the Lord!’’

There are indeed people in our society who need especially to ‘stay awake’, people such as pilots, night nurses, parents with sick children, security people, drivers, (how many accidents are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel) and many more.

But the fact is that all of us are called to be wide awake. Otherwise we will miss so much.

Many people unfortunately sleepwalk through life.

They have ears but they do not hear, eyes but they do not see.

All of us need to be awake because life is precious. ‘Mindfulness’ is the new mantra. We only pass this way once. Let us savour every morsel by being alive to and grateful for the smallest blessing.

As Jesus said ‘I have come that you may have life to the full’.

If I only could have got my hands on an old alarm clock I would have used it in my advent homilies as a visual aid because advent is like a ringing alarm clock telling us :

To rise from our sleep and to stay awake.

To be watchful and faithful disciples.

To witness to life and hope in the midst of despair and fear which so many may feel at this time.

When we witness to truth, justice, love and peace we are witnessing to Jesus.

The letters www. have become famous [world wide web]. Let them stand this Advent for Witnessing, waiting, and watching.