Advent abounds with great ironies

By Tom Rinkoski

	Tom Rinkoski

Does it strike you as ironic that the church year starts at the end of our calendar year? Isn't it ironic that the readings for the beginning of the church year are about the end of the world? Isn't it funny that during one of the darkest times of the year, we in the Catholic Church are celebrating the arrival of the Light of the World? Can you taste the irony in this?

As I sit at 9 a.m. Sunday Mass, my eyes are glued to the sign language interpreter. I don't understand sign language, but I am transfixed by the motions and movement. Isn't it ironic that I am learning lessons about language from hand movements? At Mass, the priest asked me to "dispose" myself to prayer. Isn't it ironic that it is the same word we use to refer to getting rid of the garbage?

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Luke talks about filling valleys, making winding roads straight, and leveling out hills. Is this the talk of a madman, a suburban developer, or is it Advent irony once again inserting itself into our lives? I propose the latter.

When church is at its best there is no lack of irony. However, irony deficiency is currently a common social disease. Our diets are richer than ever before in human history, yet millions of us suffer from that silent crippler, irony deficiency. How can a nation with an obesity problem have such a deep spiritual hunger? Isn't it ironic?

Actually, the illness is not so much a deficiency in irony itself, but an inability to use the abundance of irony around us. When we have difficulty in our irony uptake, these ironies pass right through us without being digested. This can lead to clue deficiency and ultimately truth decay. Advent, a season built on irony is our built-in warning system.

Take this simple test to see if you are suffering from irony deficiency. (1) Do you shop so "hard" for Christmas presents during this season that you are too tired to give them joyfully? (2) Would you rather drive around aimlessly for 45 minutes searching for the Christmas Party rather than "waste time" asking for directions?" (3) Do you become angry if you don't receive a thank you card from a gift you freely and lovingly gave? If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions you need to up your irony intake.

Seeing a doctor won't help, but seeing a paradox will. Advent places a paradox at our feet. Isn't it ironic that the God who created heaven and earth, and who, therefore, has the power to do anything, is interested in sending his Son to be born among us as a small defenseless baby? And not only is God's son to be born among us, but to be born as a child of simple family in a lowly manger. What sort of God is this? Isn't it ironic?

Swami Beyondanada in his book Duck Soup for the Soul points out that the virus linked with irony deficiency is communicated through the mass media. "It is now known that sleazium, a key element found in TV, interferes with our ability to utilize irony." High intake of pre-Christmas sleazium results in racism of the worst sort. This is evident when one or more family member races from store to store looking for perfect presents, but never finds them. They come home so exhausted they are unable to enjoy the Christmas spirit. When Christmas comes they are just glad the rat race is over.

Pre-Christmas TV commercials have higher rates of sleazium than any other season. So, as Catholics, we need to return to the root paradoxes of Advent and seize the season so we can block the sleazium! Proper application of Advent irony can help us to break down the toxic effects of Christmas TV.

I recommend pumping more irony this Advent! Don't let one go by you! Send me your best examples!

(Rinkoski is parish Director of Religious Education at St. Augustine Church and Student Center in Gainesville, Fla. His e-mail address is tomrinkoski@yahoo.com.)