The advent compressor

Okay, it seems kind of wrong to have a Catholic blog, and not have some advent postings.  The trouble is, what else does someone say?  Colm has a good one up:
http://projectym.com/blog/dinosaurs-tinkerbell-jesus/

Swords of truth has a Homily on the First week of advent:

http://swordsoftruth.com/2013/11/30/joy-in-everyday-apocalypses-homily-by-fr-nathan/

Let's face it, most blogs will cover it, and it's hard to say things that aren't already said.  I mean, Advent, get ready for Christmas, go to confession, prepare your heart, be charitable... check, check, check, and check.

So, in that light, I am making what has to be one of the most contrived literary stretches in modern history:  How advent is like buying an air compressor.

I recently bought an air compressor.  I don't know why, it was on sale and I got a great deal... there is something about an air compressor that makes every guy with a garage want one, maybe it's the tools that make that cool sound, maybe it's goofing around with it, maybe it's the satisfaction of using it to blow the dust off the work bench, maybe it's feeling like a badass with a nail gun.  Who knows.

Now, in this analogy, the arrival of the compressor will represent the coming of Christ.  No seriously, stop laughing.  See the thing is, I have no room in the garage for one (it's an 8 gallon puppy, so it takes up some space).  Between motorcycle jacks (I don't have a motorcycle anymore), old boat hulls, a bag of almost kind of dirt you can imagine (they make a lot of kinds of dirt) flower pots, a sink I found in the alley, and a lot of other strange and wonderful things, there just isn't room.

Our lives are like that, we pick up 'junk' (I swear honey, it's not junk, I use that stuff all the time!), and fill the empty spaces in our lives with it.  If we don't prepare for an important arrival, there isn't a place for it to fit.  So for the first week of advent, it's time to 'purge' the garage.  In getting ready to buy the compressor (okay, so I got it and it was living in the back of the car), I had to do some purging.  It involved going through all the 'junk', and finding the things I didn't use, didn't need, had too much of, or were plain old garbage.  It's an amazingly refreshing experience sorting through old stuff, and purging the crap.  It really does feel great.  I get to look at old hardware store purchases and leftover packaging, feel embarrassed that I spent money on something totally unnecessary (At the time the pickaxe seemed really useful), then get rid of it either by throwing away/recycling the garbage, or passing it on to someone who can actually use it.

For the first week of advent we need to do a personal purge.  I'm stoked that our diocese is offering reconciliation every Wednesday for advent.  An examination of conscience and good confession, as tough as they are, are so refreshing and liberating... they make new room within us to fill with more important things. 

There you go, week one nicely wrapped up.  Stay tuned for week 2, and dealing with the empty space!