Advent is a preparation about the coming of Jesus as our Savior. On this second week of Advent, the church invites us to celebrate the marvels that God works for us. It is a moment of joy and gladness.  We are invited to receive a wonderful call.

 All the readings for this Sunday are wake up calls for us to prepare; to receive the Lord who is coming soon. While our first reading announces that God is ready to display the splendor of the Messiah to all nations, the second reading reminds us to prepare for The Lord’s Day.

Moreover, the Gospel today from Saint Luke puts the figure of John the Baptist in front of us. John calls us to repent and await the coming Messiah. Like John, you and I are called to be a “voice crying in the wilderness,” calling out that God is present and that God is here for the salvation of the world. We should be able to proclaim from the depth of our hearts: all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

John’s preaching echoes the prophesy of Isaiah: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill be leveled…” (Is 40:2ff). The message is simple and clear; to prepare the way for Jesus, we too are called to ready ourselves for Jesus’ coming. We respond to John’s message of repentance and reform of our lives.

This is the time for us to renew and deepen our relationship with God, a time of patient waiting for God, a prayerful and trusting waiting for God. This is an opportunity for us to make a straight way for the Lord to receive the special grace that God has planned for us.

To receive this special grace, we have to remove whatever obstacle in receiving Christ. In other words, something must be sacrificed this season so that Christ could have his place in us.

For us to experience His coming, we have to be prepared to receive him. Once we prepare our hearts for Christ, Christ Himself comes to fill us, to renew us, to transform us, to remold us into God’s image that we are created to be.

So, let us prepare the day of the Lord.

 

Queen of Carmel Community, Lucena