The 2nd Sunday of Advent

First Reading Isaiah 40: 1-5; 9-11       Second Reading 2 Peter 3: 8-14  Gospel Mark 1: 1-8

Are most of you familiar with the phrase “time flies”? there really are 60 beats to every minute and 60 minutes to very hour but have you ever been amazed at just how fast one hour goes by? This doesn’t wane either as time passes, as my minutes and hours accumulate, I find immediately the word “prepare” comes to mind. I am called to prepare. There was one who came before us a time when a diet of locusts and wild honey would be at the top of the menu and be socially acceptable; however, it’s a new day, eh? There had to have been something very powerful in his diet because of all John the Baptist was able to do as he “prepared the way of the Lord”!!!

Wow, could this be what we are being asked to do after consuming our warm bowl of oatmeal? After all, if John could then, why can’t “I”, why can’t “you”?

We are told that John loved the desert; he spent some quality time away from the hustle and bustle so that his presence would make a difference. He was blessed with a large degree of humility, attired with camel’s hair with a belt tied around his waist proclaiming in the streets, “the One who is coming after me is wonderful, why I am not even worthy to stoop down to untie His sandals!” Am I being asked to clothe myself with humility? WE are asked to be aware, to prepare our heart, mind and soul for that moment to come when in a humble cave we will hear the cry of the Bethlehem Babe bathing us with so much love, so much hope, so much peace and serenity.

Time really does fly by, we shouldn’t waste a single second as we prepare for that magical moment when the star will shine in the east and our lives will be transformed forever in time. Our presence does affect those around us, a simple smile, a surprise phone call, a “thinking of you” card could change a very stressful day into one of peace and excitement. Our hearts, minds and souls could easily become our deserts and the fruit of time spent there will not only prepare us but help those whose lives we affect every moment, every second, every hour.

Be prepared, make straight the pathway to the Lord and as we await for the Great Arrival, strive always to be found by Him at peace with you first and then with those around you!

Father, just as you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus, help me to clear the path in my heart, too. Show me the distractions in my life that block me from all-out worship of you this Advent. Lord, I await your coming! As I celebrate the First Advent – the first coming – I look toward the day where I will see you face to face. I imagine what it will be like. Give me a heart Lord that looks for your coming on a daily basis. Help me to live my life where I’m constantly seeking your presence.