From the Friars: Prepare The Way of The Lord
On this first Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year. The word “advent” means “coming” or “arrival”. This special season helps us to prepare for the coming of Jesus. Normally, when we think about the coming of Jesus, we think about His birth at Bethlehem. But the season of Advent also invites us to prepare for His Second Coming when we will see Him in His glory and majesty on the Last Day. In this way, our preparations during Advent, more than external preparations, should be a time for internal preparations, a call to a deeper conversion.
The secular world tells us that preparations for Christmas consists mainly in spending money, shopping, or in decorating our houses. Our Christmas gift lists and shopping lists for parties always seem to take precedent over our prayer. Walking through the streets of Lawrence, I can see the dedication and effort of many people who decorate their homes. The lights, the trees, and all the other decorations are impressive. Sadly, this preparation seems merely secular, because the most important “decoration” is missing: the manger scene of the Baby Jesus. These external preparations blur the focus on the true meaning of Christmas and the centrality of Christ. Does anyone spend time focusing on the more important internal preparations anymore?
The Church, on the other hand, offers us a deeper interior preparation. The liturgical color purple invites us to penance and conversion. The Advent wreath with its purple and pink candles lit each Sunday encourages us to “stay awake” for the arrival of the true Light of the World, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Furthermore, in today’s Gospel, Jesus exhorts us to “Be watchful!” and “Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” This call to stay awake is a call to prepare our hearts. Confession, prayer, and continual reflection on the Word of God are the best way to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus.
I hope that this Sunday you can begin your New Year well with a spiritual plan to live Advent with vigilance, watching and waiting in prayer. In this way, your external preparations will reflect the internal preparations of your heart. Then your heart will be the true place where Our Lord Jesus Christ comes to be born.
–Br. Juan Diego, FPO