Inspired by a homily from Sr. Donna Dolan, RSCJ
Smartphones. These days, we all have them. They ring, ping, sing and generally control some of the smallest details of our lives. Back in the day, we never went anywhere without our wallets; now our phones are our wallets, our clocks, our maps, our photo albums, and just about anything else you can think of. Now, we never leave home without them.
Yet, for all they offer, they can also be a distraction.
Christmas can also be a time of distraction. It’s easy to be distracted by the gifts we still have to buy, the travel plans we have to navigate, the meals that need to be made, and the decorations that have to be put up.
As we continue to celebrate the Advent season, we encourage you to put down your smartphone. Ignore that shopping list for a little bit longer. Don’t fret about your holiday menu. Lay aside the decorations. Instead, take a moment to let in some light.
Which is why the Advent Season is so important. The Gospel call for Advent is clear — be watchful. Be awake to the Light that this season inspires. The flickering candlelight of Advent lights our way through the darkness if we let it. If we are not distracted by everything else that life throws at us.
So it’s important to ask yourself what are you being distracted by? Is it your phone? Your bank balance? Your shopping list? Your laundry piles? Your tires that need to be changed? Regardless of what it is, if you can set it aside, even for a few minutes a day, and instead think about some of the gifts in your life — goodness, beauty, love, health — then you are being true to the season of Advent. You are reflecting on what it means to be human, to look at your life in a deeper way, and to celebrate the gift of life.
At Sacred Heart, we encourage our students, regardless of their religion, to use the Advent season to put their phones away, to stop for a few moments and remove the distractions in their lives. Our Senior School students do this in the most glorious way at their annual Advent Service at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica. There, in song, prayer, reflection, and through the lighting of the Advent candles, they are alert to the inspiration and gifts this season brings, including the gift of our Sacred Heart community. Our Elementary School students celebrate in their own way and with their own celebration that also allows a distraction-free opportunity to let in the light. Both are joyous.
As we continue to celebrate the Advent season, we encourage you to put down your smartphone. Ignore that shopping list for a little bit longer. Don’t fret about your holiday menu. Lay aside the decorations. Instead, take a moment to let in some light. From a window. From a candle. From scripture. From your heart. This is what Advent asks us to do. And this brings us one step closer to experiencing the true joy of Christmas.
