Tom Thomas –
With the Advent Season underway now, the line up towards the Christmas season has begun. The stores start to wear the festive look with the bright lights and decorations, enticing passers by and visitors to stop in and show, buy things they don’t want really. The attractive offers make it hard to resist. The wintry weather also heralds the party time for most from now until the New Year. The Clubs, restaurants and hotels have all lined up attractive programs where one can wine and dine to their hearts’ content. Christmas decorations, the crib, the tree and the star light up homes.
A wonderful season indeed. The season to be merry is the message that the popular Christmas carols tell us. We are all in a good mood, or are we?
Do these external worldly observations and customs really bring us that feeling of expectant waiting that the season of Advent is supposed to bring us. If we are already full and satisfied with worldly things, ample food and drink then what does Christmas day bring us?
Agere Contra.
This Latin phrase used by St Ignatius of Loyola means to go against the grain, to move in the direction that one does not want to go, as ultimately that brings true happiness. The term “Agere Contra,” meaning “to act against,” is a pivotal concept in Catholic moral theology and ascetic practice. It refers to the intentional action of opposing one’s inclinations, particularly those that lead to sin or vice. This practice is grounded in the understanding that human beings are often tempted by their passions and sinful inclinations, necessitating an active resistance to these tendencies in order to grow in virtue and holiness.
Agere contra embodies self-discipline and the exercise of willpower in the face of temptation. It is a crucial aspect of asceticism, defined as the practice of self-denial and self-control aimed at achieving spiritual growth.
Applying the concept to prayer:
In the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius asks the retreatant to spend a full hour in prayer. If we experience consolation inprayer,r it might be easy to sit for the full hour but when we experience dryness and desolation inprayer,r we may be tempted to shorten the time.
“For this reason, the person who is exercising himself, in order to act against the desolation and conquer the temptations, ought always to stay somewhat more than the full hour; so as to accustom himself not only to resist theadversary, but even to overthrow him.”
(Spiritual Exercises, 13)
In other words, if one does not feel like praying, spend more than the regular time praying! It certainly sounds hard! Extending this concept, it can be to anything really that takes us away from Him. For example, if I am avoiding someone that I don’t like, I must take care not to keep doing that, but to seek him out and understand his point of view.
Exploring this concept, what if we move inwards this Advent season instead of outwards?
There is a practice of fasting during the Advent season, giving up things that one likes – voluntarily- during this season. It may be giving up eating less than the normal quantity of food than what one is used to, or giving up non-vegetarian food, alcoholic drinks, or sugar during the season. This fasting during Advent season is practiced by the Syro Malabar church and others. There is something to be said for this practice. This gap in our lives, caused by this temporarily giving up, makes us more alert.
We can use this alertness for spiritual preparation, such as reading the Scriptures daily, attending daily Mass, spending some time in adoration, or even attending some Advent retreats, online or offline. We can also think of helping the less fortunate through the time and money we have saved.
Yes, this is moving against the grain, against the direction we would like to go. I am personally thinking of the number of parties coming up from now until Christmas, where it becomes hard for me to restrict my food and drink intake.
But I must strive to that. I can emulate the example of saints like St Francis of Assisi, who had regular periods of fasting in their lives. St Francis, in fact, used to fast 40 days from the Feast of All Saints – November 1st to Christmas Day!
Agere Contra.
It is not easy at all but necessary for me to clear some of the excesses in my life this Advent season, so that I can have space in my heart to welcome baby Jesus on Christmas day. To be ready for Him, as the Christmas song says ,
“ O come, o come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear”