LET
US CLIMB THE LORD'S MOUNTAIN
MY
BROTHERS,
To
climb a mountain takes hard, strenuous work both physically and
mentally. It looms above us in all of its greatness and, in
comparison, we are small and insignificant. Its mere presence is
overwhelming with all of its glory and greatness. What a beautiful
gift we are given to witness this as well as the rest of God's
Creation. From the smallest particles of sand to the far reaching
oceans, we are participants in this beauty. Creation is at work
around us and at work within us. God invites us to participate in
this creation and this gift of life that he has given to all of us.
Too many times prior we have ignored this call and instead indulged
in selfish desires and selfish thoughts which have not included God.
We have instead chosen to separate ourselves from him and create our
own illusion of greatness and happiness around us. Yet, the mountain
remains in all of its splendor dwarfing anything that we can create
or experienced. We are reminded through it that God is eternal and
that there are so many things beyond our capability and power in this
world.
As
Christians we are all climbing own own personal mountain with all of
its challenges and dangers. At the top of each is God calling to us;
urging us to come to him. Christ is also with us; climbing next to us
and reaching out his hand to help us when we are in danger of
falling. Our mountains, when we first acknowledge them, may seem too
tall and too difficult to climb; especially when we are at the bottom
and looking up through the clouds to where the peak is. So far and so
challenging may the climb be that we hear the words of Satan that we
should just walk away and never attempt such a journey. “Just turn
and walk away. I know a far easier route to take,” he whispers to
us. We must remind ourselves that we all took Satan's route at some
point in our lives and, though it may at first appeared to be easy,
the destination was utter destruction.
Even there, during our most
desperate moments, the mountain loomed large; calling to us.
This
personal mountain of ours will take a lifetime to climb. At first we
will be tired and drained of all energy as we get used to the hard
work and conditioning that our bodies will be taking. We will be
forced to focus ourselves mentally to continue the journey while we
are being formed spiritually. It will be revealed to us through the
exercise that we receive that all three of these areas of the self
are important in this journey: the physical, the mental, and the
spiritual. All need to be fed and cared for. Even though society has
told us to ignore the spiritual and focus on the material instead,
the truth is all three aspects of ourselves are needed and are a
reflection of the perfection of the Trinity. One cannot be present
without the other two and must be exercised in their entirety.
Faith
is hard work yet the results are invaluable. Like climbing a
mountain, the beginning is always the hardest as we try to get
accustomed to the foreign terrain and the pains in our bodies as
areas that we haven't worked with for a long time are now being
utilized. We will be distracted and tempted to abandon the climb. We
will ask ourselves if any of this is even worth the trouble. In the
past, even though we may have been immersed in sin, we were at least
accustomed to our dreary existence. Yet, to even attempt a journey
such as this, indicates that there is a calling deep within
ourselves. This calling is from God and it is a call to holiness.
The
mountain represents that perfection and the top God's Glory.
Through
Isaiah, we learn that those who are being called by Christ, will
respond to this call by embarking on their own journeys of faith. We
can take comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone and that we
can receive help and support from them on the way. All creation came
forth from God now it is slowly returning to him. We must ask
ourselves if we want to be participants in this journey or onlookers
drowning in a lake of sin below while others climb out of the valley.
We all have that choice to be left behind or to join in the struggle
of perfection and eternal life.
The
Season of Advent presents us with an opportunity to renew our
commitment to this journey. This season is a time of contemplation
and meditation. What more can we do to condition ourselves for this
journey to God? What more can we do in our lives to experience it
with Christ and, through Christ, unite ourselves with God? We need to
examine ourselves fully and listen to what God is telling us to do.
He has given us instruction and still does through Divine Revelation
. We receive this through prayer, Sacred Scripture, and the
traditions handed to us by the Church. These are just some of the
tools that we can use to climb that mountain and celebrate Advent
correctly.
So
often is this season overlooked as the expectation is focused on
Christmas. It must be understood that Advent is as important as
Christmas and together, these seasons offer a beautiful vision of
where our faith-life can take us during our time on this earth. The
first candle lights our path forward and through its flame we are
called to Repentance. To experience where we are going we must
acknowledge where we have been. Our darkest hours are now behind us
and we are asked to turn around and look at it one more time. By
looking at it, we are saying goodbye to a life of sin and debauchery.
We then close the door on it and follow that beautiful light before
us. This is the Light of Christ and we are invited to make a
commitment to have it present forever in our hearts, soul, and mind.
We are encouraged to ask for forgiveness, repent, and dismiss our
past choosing to be transformed by God and claim our place in his
creation. That place is on top of the mountain: through him, with
him, and in him.
Deacon
Tom
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