Back in 1971 singer/songwriter, Carly Simon, released her song Anticipation.  The song’s chorus went, “Anticipation, anticipation, you’re makin’ me late, you’re keepin’ me waitin’.”  The song was a hit and I remember playing it over and over on my 8-track tape player.  A few years later in 1976, the Heinz ketchup people used the chorus from the song to advertise and tout the thickness of their ketchup, how slowly it poured out of the bottle, and how it was worth the wait.  The commercial showed a child with her grandmother eagerly anticipating the enjoyment of her favorite condiment while waiting patiently for it to ooze out of the bottle onto her burger.

Call me crazy but this memory came back to me after reading last Thursday’s Gospel, Mt 4:18-22, on the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle.  The Gospel told the account of Jesus seeing Andrew and Simon fishing, and telling them, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.”

But, if we only consider Matthew’s Gospel, we might think this was Andrews’s first time to meet Jesus.  We’d probably be wrong.  In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, we’re told that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist who preached and prophesied that “a man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.”  This could only have been the promised Messiah whom Andrew, like any good Israelite, had been anticipating would deliver them from the Romans.  

Andrew believed the Messiah was coming.  His imagination tasted the sweetness of freedom and he sought the Messiah as he waited in eager anticipation.

Then John heightened the anticipation by adding, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.…now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”  John pointed out to Andrew, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”  

This is what Andrew had been waiting for!  The Messiah was right there in front of him, he could see Him, he could touch Him!  And, then, Jesus invited him to come and spend the day with him!  The ketchup was now out of the bottle and on the burger!  Could it get any better than this?  Yes, it could, and it did the next day when Jesus told Simon and Andrew to follow Him.  Andrew was being called to follow his Messiah!  His search and faithful anticipation finally paid off and his joy must have been a thousand times better than that little girl’s when she finally took a bite of her ketchup covered burger.

Today is the first day of Advent, the season of waiting and anticipating the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We wait for His return, His second coming, and we wait for His birth at Christmas.  Waiting, however, is difficult, it’s uncomfortable.  Most of us want instant gratification.  In our culture, we hurry and scurry in these final weeks before Christmas frantically shopping for gifts, planning meals or trips to visit family, or completing end-of-year business.  Most people spend very little time, if any, thinking about and anticipating Christ’s coming.  We want to fill our waiting time with other productive stuff. 

In today’s Gospel, (Mk 13:33-37), Jesus cautions us to be watchful and alert because we do not know when He will be coming back.  We should be prepared, ready, waiting and seeking Him with joyful anticipation.  Our attention should be on the object of our desire, not on less important things that will steal the joy of the anticipation.   We should be like Andrew.

Patience is a virtue, and joyful anticipation makes patience possible.  We can all wait for something we are looking forward to.  We can wait patiently for the ketchup to flow out of the bottle because we know how good it will be.  The catch phrase in the Heinz commercial was, “It’s slow good!”  Rather than fill your time with stuff just to be productive, spend that time seeking Jesus. Spend time in prayer with Jesus each day during Advent, telling Him what’s on your heart, and listen to Him in the silence of your heart.  It is extremely “slow good.”

Slow down during this Advent.  Make time for your loved ones.  Give them the best gifts they could ever receive – your time and your love.  And make time for Jesus.  Enjoy the blessings and graces that God provides as you patiently anticipate Christ’s birth and His eventual second coming.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for this season of Advent, this precious time to slow down and reconnect with the most important things in life:  You and our families.  Thank You for the grace to grow in virtue as we seek You and patiently wait to celebrate Your birth, and await Your return.  Amen.”

(Anticipation was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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