Monday, December 7, 2009
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Good Morning, my name is Father Jim Caldwell, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Krebs, and this week, we will be spending our time together, reflecting on Advent and how we are called to celebrate together, with the Church, a new year which is calling us to prepare our hearts for our Lord and King to enter in and change our lives. Please pray and ponder with me on this great opportunity to prepare ourselves for the Birth of Christ Jesus.
In the Gospel of Mark, the author writes in chapter 1, verse 2: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” The herald being spoken of here is John the Baptist who helps us prepare our hearts for Christ to come. The Season of Advent is this great time in which can prepare to welcome Christ with joy. Preparation is so important for us because it is at the root and heart of who we are as people of God. So our reflection today will invite us to prepare for Christ to come.
Ponder for a moment how a baby is brought into the world. Ponder the fact that in all of creation, having a baby requires that for nine months, the child is growing in the womb of the mother. The child needs this time to grow and develop in order to enter into a world first as a helpless creature. Then aided by a personal encounter with others, the child grows and matures into an adult.
So the first step is preparing for the birth of a child, in this case Jesus. For the last eight months, we have watched as the baby grows and forms in the womb of Mary, and as the day of birth grows closer, we are anticipating with joy the day when He will arrive. In doing so, we make preparations for Him: buying the crib, the clothes the diapers, the bottles and all other material things that are necessary to help Jesus grow and mature. There is a spring in our step, there is joy and love abounding as well as a little bit of fear: what will He be like? How tall will He be? What color hair will He have? What kind of temperament will He have? What will He be when He grows up?
All of these questions and many more are part of the process of preparing for the birth of Jesus. Yet there is more, especially for us as we know some of the answers to these questions from Sacred Scripture. So the bigger directive and direction for us to ponder is what are we preparing for? If Christ has already come into the world as a child, what is left? The answer lies deep within our hearts. We are preparing our hearts to welcome Him with joy. We are evaluating our lives today, here and now, to contemplate what we need to do in order to be aware of Christ in our lives.
Unfortunately, we are living in a world that has lost sight of the reason for the season of Advent and Christmas. We believe that this time is to increase our material possessions and buy things that can help dull the boredom and the pain in our lives. Society teaches us that material things are far better than any kind of reconciliation or spiritual growth. Besides, God does not exist, society says. Only material things can provide us with happiness and wealth. Most of us know this is not the case, but nevertheless, we get caught up in this false sense of preparation and hype.
What John the Baptist is encouraging us to do is to look inwardly at our hearts. How do we reflect the love of a new born child in our hearts? How do we reflect the awesome power of forgiveness, compassion, care and concern for others? If someone knocks on our heart, are we ready to shower them with love? How do we know if we are prepared to love others?
Preparation requires a couple of things. It requires us to have the tools necessary to mix, blend, fold, stir and mold the experiences of life together in order to carve the way to God for others. Preparation requires that we begin to read the directions that are written for us, and to follow the recipe of love that Jesus has set for us. Preparation demands that our hearts be set on the spiritual gifts that truly make us happy and joyful people: love, forgiveness, hope, faith, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and courage. It expects us to look beyond the material possessions in life in order to possess these spiritual gifts which ground us in the true meaning of life. Preparation means that each of us takes a good look at our heart to discover what we truly need, and then seek this in and through the Child Jesus who wants to be in our hearts and lives. It means keeping the Christ in Christmas, which is the whole reason and season for our joy and cheerfulness.
In the season of Advent, we are preparing for Christ to come amidst the burning desire to be part of the parade of life. We need this time of anticipation in order to know that our time is short before the Child Jesus arrives. Our time to learn how to love and be loved is today. The prophets of yesterday and today are challenging us to prepare a place for Jesus to come and live. Learning how to be happy and joyful in life is part of our preparation for each day. Jesus is calling us to be His disciples and as He calls us, He also prepares us to do His work: to make the path of life easier for those around us by what we do, say and act.
What preparations are required for today? What are we preparing for in life? Thinking about this question challenges us to put into perspective our lives in order to draw attention to that which matters the most. Are you preparing to welcome the Child Jesus into life? Are you assisting others in discovering Jesus’ presence in our world today? Are you willing to redirect your thoughts and focus on being Jesus for others? This is why Advent is an appropriate time of our lives: to remind us of the presence of Christ among us and the call to live, breathe and be Christ to each other.
Being Christ for each other is one step toward sharing Him with others in a spirit of charity and love. While there are many other steps that can help us live with and in Christ, there is one important step that binds all the ingredients together. Tune in tomorrow morning, as we meditate further on how to prepare our hearts for Christ to enter in and help us keep the reason for the season alive.
Let us Pray:
Good and gracious God, we are seeking your Child Jesus to enter our hearts. Help us to prepare our hearts to welcome Him with joy. Give us the courage to address and change those circumstances and issues that have prevented us from being Christ to others. Most importantly, help us to redirect our thoughts and actions to you so that what we do, say and act may in fact open our hearts to your love and mercy. Prepare our hearts to see and welcome your presence in life through the Child Jesus and give us courage and hope to live in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. And may almighty God Bless You in the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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