Second Sunday of Advent
On the evening of Christmas Eve, Kermit and his fellow accountants (who are played by rats) close up the shop and start on their way home to get ready for Christmas, singing a song entitled, “One More Sleep ’til Christmas.” They even ice skate in the street, and then Kermit makes his way home where Miss Piggy prepare the Christmas feast (meager as it was for the Cratchit family).
As the Gospel introduces us to St. John the Baptist today, we continue to make our Christmas preparations, though we have more than one more sleep ’til Christmas. St. John the Baptist is Jesus’ cousin, and fulfills the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah as he cries out to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths. Isaiah also says that the valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills will be leveled out, so that the road to God is flat and easily traversed.
First, how are we preparing for Christ, whether His return in glory, or the celebration of His Nativity? Are we preparing? It is so easy just to treat Advent like any other time of the year, but colder, darker, and with more parties. There is so much to do, from decorating the house for Christmas, to buying presents, to attending work or personal Christmas parties, that the season can fly by. In fact, as of today, there are only seventeen more days until Christmas, or slightly more than two weeks.
The best way to prepare for Christ is to prepare our hearts. We do that by making a little more time for prayer each day. Maybe it’s a daily Advent reflection, or simply an extra five minutes of prayer in the morning or before you go to bed. But one of the best ways to prepare for Christ is to speak with Him about how life is going, and listen to what He says to you.
Another good way is to read Scripture. In the Bible God reveals who He is and who we should be. If do not familiarize ourselves with the Word of God in the Bible, then we’ll miss out on knowing God and knowing ourselves. And while the Bible can be a bit overwhelming if you try to read it from cover to cover, during Advent, read the Book of the Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament. Isaiah prophesies a lot about the Messiah, prophecies that Christ fulfilled when He was conceived and born. And while some of what Isaiah says needs some explanation, much of it is pretty accessible.
As for valleys that Isaiah prophesied: what are the low points of our life? I would suggest that the valleys in our lives are sins and sinful habits. During this season of Advent, God wants to fill them in with His grace so that they no longer bring us low. Advent is always a good time to go to confession. But, in addition, look more deeply at your most common sins, or maybe the most serious sins, and try to understand why those sins are so tempting to you, and how you fall into them. When it comes to our sins, the Devil always shows his hand in showing us where we like to fall. Maybe it’s overeating; maybe it’s sexual sins by ourselves or with another; maybe it’s gossiping or detracting from someone. Whatever our most common or most grievous sins, ask yourself when sin seems most appealing for you, and then ask for God’s grace during those times, and make a plan to distract yourself during those times from sins with something else that is good.
As for mountains and hills: these are the times of pride in our life. How does pride keep us from God? Pride is a raising of ourselves in our own eyes or the eyes of another not in accord with God’s will. When we have pride, we put ourselves in the place of God and unreasonably focus on our own good, rather than the good that God is, or the good that others need. Humbling ourselves doesn’t mean pretending we’re no good, but it does mean not primarily going after honors or attention. Humility means allowing God to be God and taking our cue from Him, rather than deciding that we know best and that the world should operate according to our wants and desires.
As we prepare for Christ’s return and the celebration of His Nativity at Christmas, St. John the Baptist invites us to make sure we are ready. Are we praying daily, and maybe praying a bit more during Advent? Do we read God’s word, especially maybe the Book of the Prophet Isaiah during Advent? Are we seeking forgiveness of sins, and even trying to get rid of habits of sin? Do we seek humility and not focus so much on ourselves? All these ways, and more, are great ways to prepare for Christ so that God will bless us, everyone.
