An Image Reflection for the Saturday of the Second Week of Advent

STM's Assistant Chaplains will share an image and reflect on it each Saturday. Today, Allan recalls watching a man comb a beach for treasure as the sun began to set.

On a recent trip to California, I spotted a man crisscrossing the shore of Coronado beach with a metal detector in his right hand and a long filter in his left. Bent on finding something valuable, he was laser-focused on what might be hiding in the beautiful sands of the famed beach. Totally consumed by this endeavor, he hardly lifted his head to look at the setting sun which illuminated his search.

This scene reminded me of my fixation with the daily concerns of life. I sometimes find myself so consumed with the worries and tasks before me that I forget to lift my head and admire and appreciate God’s wonderful presence every day. As we celebrate Advent, we are also entering the busiest time of the academic year. It's quite easy for us to be glued to deadlines and concerns, always rushing to finish one project after another.

Yet, Advent invites us to be alert and open, allowing God to illuminate us as we go about our day. Perhaps we shall see God in the beauty of snow perching on dried branches, or in people we meet on the sidewalk, or in the consoling presence of a friend, or in the constant care of family members. As the psalmist tells us today, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” Despite the rush of the season, may we cultivate an Advent posture of receptivity to God’s daily incarnation in our lives.