We are all spending a lot of time preparing for Christmas
parties with friends and family, shopping for gifts, and sending out cards. We’re
doing this to prepare for the celebration of great gift of Jesus entering the
world as a baby. But much of this preparation is external. If you heard Fr.
Dave’s homily last week, Christmas and Advent tend to get blended
together. It’s important that we keep
the focus of Advent preparing for coming of Jesus. Advent is a season to help
us to prepare internally to make our hearts for the coming of the Lord. He came
as our Savior to bring us eternal life and He will come again in glory. What do
we need to do to prepare for his coming again?
The Gospel focuses on the prophet, John the Baptist,
announcing the Messiah. Luke’s Gospel details the significant figures in
history: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod and his brother Philip. They were all worldly leaders of the Roman
and Jewish cultures and were the people of importance. They were the movers and shakers of the time.
But these persons of power and influence, weren’t the ones that God chose to announce
the Lord’s coming. It came from an
obscure man who lived in the barren desert, John the Baptist. This was sign
that things were changing. The Messiah would come from where people would least
expect.
John was in the desert proclaiming a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The desert is a significance place for the people of Israel. They wandered there for forty years after
being held in captivity by the Egyptians.
It was away from the distractions of the pagan influence of their
captors and allowed them to return to their relationship with God.
John’s message was to make ready for the Messiah’s
coming:
Prepare for the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
John proclaimed the words from the Prophet Baruch in
today’s first reading. This Scripture was
very familiar to the Jewish people. They
would recall another time of captivity where they were forced to travel far
from Jerusalem, through hills, mountains, and valleys. This journey was very difficult. Most had to walk
long distances. They didn’t have the luxury of traveling by plane, train, or
car like we do. It led them to a land hostile to their beliefs and practices
contrary to their faith. Baruch’s prophecy invoked an image of a much easier
journey to return back to be with their God.
John’s call was to a baptism of repentance, to
prepare a way for the Lord’s coming.
Repentance is a change from current ways in order to welcome the
Lord. It requires looking at things a different
way, a broadening of horizons, a transformation of experience. It’s a conversion. This requires a personal inventory of what’s getting
in the way of the Lord and a resolution to do something about it. It’s a human
effort in history to make a change.
As we begin this new Church year in the season of
Advent, this gives us our time in history to make resolutions for a straight
path to the Lord. Are we making it easy
for the Lord to get to us? Do we take time daily in prayer to talk and listen to
the Lord? Do we have mountains that get
in the Lord’s way such as our job, personal pleasure, or habits? Are we stuck in a valley of frivolous
entertainment that keep us from the Lord? Are we making a straight path to the
Lord’s graces by regularly receiving the Sacraments?
We have plenty of opportunities to help us begin our
resolutions to prepare the way of the Lord.
We have Advent prayer booklets and new Dynamic Catholic books available to
help with spiritual reading and prayer time.
If you miss those, both Formed and Dynamic Catholic have daily email Advent
reflections. Each Wednesday the Adoration of the Eucharist is available to
provide a quiet time to listen and talk to the Lord. Of course we can also do this daily in a
quiet place in our home. Our upcoming Taize’ prayer service this Wednesday is another
great way too quiet down in the Advent season and listen to the Lord. Next Saturday we’ll have our parish penance service
to receive the graces of the Sacrament of reconciliation. There are also many service opportunities that
can help us in sharing our gifts and time, in love of God and neighbor.
I hope this Advent you’ll make your own mark in
history through resolutions to prepare your heart for the way of the Lord. Knock down the mountains, fill in the
valleys, and make straight the paths to make it easy for the Lord to get to
you. May the Eucharist we receive strengthen our resolve to welcome the Lord’s coming
in Glory.
