Second Sunday of Advent

Mark 1 : 1 - 8; Isaiah 40 : 1- 11

Prepare the way for the Lord....

Advent is a good time to take stock of our spiritual lives. It is a time of spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord. This can be seen as a 'now' event and it can also be viewed as a 'future' event. We believe that our beloved Lord comes into our lives every day- but are our hearts prepared to offer him room to dwell? John the Baptist calls for people to repent, to empty themselves of all that would hinder the way of the Lord. The people had lived in spiritual darkness for a long time, and now the Light of the world was coming. Would they be ready? Some were and came forward with repentant hearts to be cleansed and renewed in faith.

We are called to do the same in the present time. God comes, knocking at the door of our lives. If we wish to invite him to stay with us, we need to prepare the way by clearing ourselves of self centeredness and self-righteousness. It is a pity that the commercial Christmas message is to focus on 'our' joy, 'our' holiday season', 'our' fun, even if there is the exchange of gifts. I wonder whether we can stop long enough in our busy schedules to visit the lowly manger which was the place our Lord was born. The shepherds in their humility were the first to visit and worship the newborn king. Their simple hearts were open enough. Their lives were quiet enough to be led to manger......