A Living Advent in Solanus Casey

Father Solanus Guild Reflection by Br. Igor De Bliquy, OFM Cap. – December 3, 2024

 

Advent: A Season of Hope Fulfilled in Christ

Advent, the season of anticipation, is when hope takes center stage in the Christian heart. It is a season of longing for the fulfillment of promises, for the arrival of the One who ushers in salvation and peace. Hope, deeply intertwined with our longing for communion with God, finds its ultimate answer in the incarnation of Christ at Christmas. The Word made flesh is God’s response to humanity’s deepest yearning, and this profound mystery shines brightly in the spirituality of Blessed Solanus Casey, whose own life was marked by humble hope and faith.

On Christmas Eve, 1896, Solanus Casey, then a young man discerning his call, knocked on the door of St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit. This moment marks the beginning of a life wholly dedicated to God and His people. In Solanus, we find a living Advent—a life shaped by hope, trust, and preparation for Christ’s coming into the world through small acts of love and service.

 

Advent: The Season of Longing

Advent is not merely a countdown to Christmas; it is a sacred time of preparation. The liturgical readings and traditions of the season direct our gaze both backward to the first coming of Christ in Bethlehem and forward to His final coming in glory. Yet, Advent also speaks to the present moment, to the ways God desires to break into our lives here and now.

This breaking in of God is prepared throughout scripture, God is always longing for His people. The incarnation—God becoming man—is not simply the fulfillment of human desire but an act of divine love and yearning. God does not wait passively for humanity to reach out; let us be honest,… he would have to wait a long time for this to happen, instead, He takes the initiative, crossing the chasm of separation to dwell among us.

This divine initiative is reflected in the humility of Solanus Casey. Though he struggled academically and faced personal challenges, his life was one of steadfast hope and trust in God’s providence. Solanus understood that God’s coming is not reserved for the powerful or the perfect but for the humble and open-hearted, for every person knocking on the monastery door for help, a listening year, or a prayer.

 

Solanus Casey: A Model of Advent Spirituality

Solanus Casey’s spirituality was rooted in hope—hope not as wishful thinking but as confident trust in God’s promises. He encourages us to “thank God ahead of time” for blessings yet to come, an attitude that echoes that of the spirit of Advent.

Just as Mary and Joseph journey to Bethlehem, trusting in God’s plan despite uncertainty, Solanus also walked through life with faith that God’s goodness will prevail.

Advent’s themes of preparation and waiting also find expression in Solanus’ life. His role as the porter of St. Bonaventure Monastery may seem mundane, but it became a powerful ministry.

Like the innkeeper in the Nativity story, Solanus welcomed all who came to the door. However, unlike the innkeeper, Solanus never turned anyone away. He listened, prayed, and offered consolation, embodying the Christ who knocks on the door of every human heart.

The hope of Advent is not passive; it demands action. Solanus understood this well. His work with the poor, having consequences with the third order and the start of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen we know today, mirrors the incarnational love of Christ. Just as God became man to meet humanity in its poverty, Solanus met the physical and spiritual needs of the people he served, offering them hope in tangible ways.

 

The Incarnation: Hope Answered

Christmas, the culmination of Advent, celebrates God’s ultimate response to humanity’s longing. In the birth of Christ, hope takes on flesh and walks among us. For Solanus Casey, the incarnation was not an abstract theological concept but a lived reality. His deep devotion to the Eucharist reflected his belief in the continuing presence of Christ among His people.

On Christmas Eve, as the Church prepared to celebrate the birth of Christ, Solanus began his journey of total surrender to God. This act of knocking on the monastery door symbolizes the Advent experience of seeking and being received by God.

As we prepare our hearts during Advent, Solanus’ life reminds us that the hope of Christmas is not merely a historical event but an ongoing reality. Christ continues to come to us in the Eucharist, in the faces of the poor, and in the quiet moments of prayer.

 

Living the Hope of Advent Today

Advent invites us to rekindle our hope in God’s promises in a world often overshadowed by despair. The life of Blessed Solanus Casey offers a blueprint for living this hope. We can prepare our hearts to receive Christ anew through gratitude, humility, and trust.

Just as Solanus thanked God ahead of time, we too can approach Advent with a spirit of thanksgiving. We can trust that God, who fulfilled His promises through the incarnation, continues to work in our lives. And like Solanus, we can open the doors of our hearts and homes to others, becoming instruments of God’s love and hope in the world.

As we light the candles of the Advent wreath, may their glow remind us of the light of Christ, which dispels darkness and fills us with joy. And as we journey toward Christmas, may we carry the spirit of Solanus Casey, a humble porter who embodied the hope of Advent and the love of God made flesh.

This Advent, let us knock on the door of God’s heart with hope, trusting that it will be opened, just as the doors of St. Bonaventure were opened to a young Solanus Casey on Christmas Eve. In that opening, we find not only welcome but the fulfillment of our deepest longing: Emmanuel, God with us.

 

Br. Igor, OFM Cap.

Sources: The Virtues, by Lamoureaux & Wadell