Thy Name is Sting (A Pre-Advent Reflection)

In what was one of the most anticipated arrivals into a WWE squared circle, wrestling legend Sting shocked the wrestling universe and debuted in an epically gothic Survivor Series intervention, during which he came out in his black-and-white, confronted and administered to Triple H a Scorpion Death Drop which turned the match in Dolph Ziggler's favor and as a result of Ziggler's victory, ensured the demise of The Authority.

This moment has occasioned for me a reflection on the time of Advent which is upon us Catholic (and non-Catholic) Christians. In the first reading today we read about

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits, sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.” “Behold, I am coming soon.” Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.

In today's Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

While professional wrestlers are not messengers of God, the imagery of darkness that can overwhelm us is not only conjured by those obviously wayward activities such "carousing and drunkenness," but also can be found in the "anxieties of daily life" that are its blandness and monotony. From the time one wakes up and looks outside to yet another day, through the time one walks into work to complete yet the same set of tasks that were completed the day before, to the boredom of lunch all the way through dinner and an evening filled with whatever entertainment and chores you may have to do, the routineness of life is likely a crisis which afflicts all of us. We are called to be aware of ourselves and to not let ourselves become lackadaisical. In this beginning of our new year, we can take comfort in the fact that it is a new year for us and a gift to, as Pope Francis said on first day of Advent in 20113, "rediscover the beauty of all being on a journey" of "hope" that Christ places us on.

Advent is also a time to prepare for Christ's birth and what better way to prepare for his arrival than to return to a path off of which we may have wandered from time to time. We might not be dressed in black, but our worn spirits will welcome a new year to continue on our path with our faith renewed and our vigor restored. We may worry, but we are called to continue on the journey of hope, as the Holy Father spoke of. Pope Francis ends his Angelus from December 1, 2013 with the following (italics original)

The model of this spiritual disposition, of this way of being and journeying in life, is the Virgin Mary. A simple girl from the country who carries within her heart the fullness of hope in God! In her womb, God’s hope took flesh, it became man, it became history: Jesus Christ. Her Magnificat is the canticle of the People of God on a journey, and of all men and women who hope in God and in the power of his mercy. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her, she who is mother, a mamma and knows how to guide us. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her during this season of active waiting and watchfulness.

As we end this year and begin a new one, let us not be worn down or taken into a darknesss by the daily grind of our lives. Rather, let us look to the Blessed Mother for guidance, and never lose sight of our purpose, never lose hope that is the light of Christ, and to begin again if we do.