Keeping Watch

The gospel text for this first Sunday of Advent consists of the last verses of Mark’s chapter 13 that talks about the end of times and uses some apocalyptic images. Yet these 5 verses set a calming counterpoint and simply tell the disciples – and us – that the only thing necessary in uncertain times is to be faithful in our obligations and be on the watch for when God will return and grace us again with his presence.  

The words watchful/watch occur four times in this text.  “Watchful” is the second word Jesus says in v. 33, and in the middle of the text, it occurs twice.  Verse 34 describes how the servants need to do their regular duties including the gatekeeper’s job to be “on the watch.” Verse 35 starts with “Watch, therefore” because we do not know when the “lord of the house is coming … may he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.” And the last verse ends with an accented imperative for all of us: “Watch!” (v. 37). Mark wants to make sure that we see the importance of this word and the human attitudes it implies.

What does this watchfulness mean for us during the pandemic and all the turmoil in the world? I see it as stability – doing our job, staying put in our place in life and community, simply “doing what we are doing”, no matter how long this pandemic lasts. This is watching and waiting in calm – as Isaiah says: “By waiting and calm you shall be saved” (30:15)  and not by restlessly looking at the calendar and worrying ‘how much longer? How can I bear it?’ Watching also includes paying attention, counting our blessings and losses, both personal and general, and praying for all the people who are mourning lost lives, lost livelihoods, for those who are fighting to save lives every day, and those who accompany the grieving through sterile funerals.

With watchfulness, Jesus points to a contemplative stance and asks us to observe the inner dynamics of our lives. It also includes observing nature and the sky from inside, or on walks on our land – however short or long. For me it is a never-ending gift to notice the small changes in nature – the last leaves on the highest branches of trees, shining like gold in the sun, or the grassy walk beyond one of the bridges as it is suddenly lit up by pale rays of sunlight poking through dark clouds – an image of a life-giving path into the unknown of this wintry pandemic season.

In pondering this watchfulness I realized that Jesus encourages us to watch not in fear of intruders who would want to violate our space, but rather to keep watch for yet another silent arrival of our loving God into the longing of our hearts. St. Bernard mentions in the reading on his feast day that we can never directly observe how God comes to us, but we know when he graces us with a divine presence beyond words. In speaking about the “sacrament of Advent” Maria Boulding says that “Jesus Christ is both God’s self-gift and humankind’s reply, with the barriers down.” Through Jesus we all have the capacity to receive God, so  “Jesus is grace offered, but also grace accepted.” (The Coming of God, p. 178) Mark’s short text shows precisely this: Christ is always coming again, and it is for to us to keep watch – letting our defenses down – so that he can enter our open hearts and we will receive his Advent grace humbly and joyfully.