Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Advent is about preparation. We are preparing to greet Jesus as He enters the world. But of course, He has already come, and our preparation is for the liturgical celebration of Christmas. But we will meet Him in person again; this is certain. If we are going to meet a great personage or a celebrity, it is only natural that we desire to present the very best of who we are.
 
I lived in Rome for four years. My first year in Rome was the first year in my life that I would be away from home for Christmas. My sister, Penny, was determined that I would not be without family and decided that she would come to Rome with my cousin and join me for Christmas. I was touched by her solicitation and decided I would do something special for her. I told her that I had secured special seating for Midnight Mass with Pope John Paul II. Needless to say, she was thrilled. I was on for ceremonies with the pope. Therefore, I could not be with her and my cousin in St. Peter’s. Trusting that she and my cousin could fend for themselves for lunch on the streets of Rome, I informed her that I needed to pick up the tickets at the Vatican.
 
Picking up the tickets, I returned to the residence. My sister and my cousin arrived after their adventurous lunch. As we gathered, I was reaching into my pocket to retrieve the tickets and tell them of my surprise. It was then that I noticed the smell. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the origin. Then to my horror, I realized it was coming from my sister and cousin. What did you have for lunch? Pizza, she said. What type of pizza? Garlic pizza. I think it was double garlic, my cousin chimed in. Oh no, I said. What’s the matter? Responded Penny. Producing the tickets, I said these are not just tickets for the Mass, but my Christmas surprise for you is that you will be the select few people who will be receiving holy Communion from the pope at Midnight Mass. At St. Peter’s, you must receive Communion on the tongue. I now envisioned the pope passing out from my sister and cousin’s garlic lunch. A bottle of mouthwash later started to make it tolerable. We want to present ourselves in the best manner possible when meeting unique personages.
 
I constantly ask myself, am I ready to meet the Lord? As I get older, I realize that life can change in an instant. So, am I ready? Just this week, tornadoes struck our midwestern states, causing extreme destruction and many lives were lost. It’s hard to imagine sitting in your living room one moment, and suddenly your home is destroyed. The next minute, you’re standing before God. I believe our neighbors in Waukesha who were celebrating their love for the season with their friends, could never have imagined the instant horror that visited upon them. Advent reminds us to get ready, because we never know when we will be called to present ourselves before Jesus. Hopefully, I will not have had a garlic pizza.

One thing I know for sure is that I will ask for mercy, and He will ask me what I did to follow His command to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the December 4, 2021 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.