By the grace of God, we have been given this holy season to prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We often refer to this as the season of waiting. In fact, that is what the word "advent" means.The Lord is here. The Lord is coming! The Lord is present!
We await the coming of the Lord.But this waiting is no passive waiting. It is an active waiting which involves preparation.
Just as a family would prepare for the birth of a new child we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior and the day of His return. Doctor appointments, buying supplies, baby showers, preparing a nursery, and eating or exercising properly often fill those days of waiting as the time of birth draws near.
As a Church we prepare to celebrate by preparing our environment and our souls. Decorations, Advent Wreaths, church cleaning, CCD programs, Lessons & Carols and even church parities comprise the element of preparing our environment. We prepare our souls with the Advent Readings from Mass, Confession, personal devotions and hopefully some time before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration of our Lord Jesus.
Our hearts are drowsy and forgetful, tired out by the anxieties of daily life. Maybe we distract ourselves from our troubles by working very hard, or becoming depressed, or becoming fascinated with (you name yours) drink, or sex, or out-of-control emotions, or gambling, or email, or golf, or surfing the web, or pride, or, or, or. Whatever it is for you, the very clear message of Advent is, “Settle down for a while.” Open the door just a crack to let God in.
That is the preparation that God desires. That is what brings us closer to His Son, Jesus. And that Closeness is what saves us! Let the preparations begin.
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