Posted on December 6, 2024 View all Gospel Reflection
Make way for the Lord!
As we enter into the second week of Advent, today (December 8) would normally be the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. But as Our Lady always does, she makes way for the Lord and her feast day will be celebrated on Monday, Dec. 9 so that we can celebrate the Day of the Lord on Sunday.
As we look at the readings for this Sunday we see this deference even in the Gospel when Luke recalls the words of Isaiah as he says “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Lk 3:4 citing Isaiah 40:3.) Only 15 more shopping days until Christmas Eve! Advent certainly seems to be moving quickly this year. The Jewish people had waited two millennia for the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, from the time of Abraham. By the time of Mary and Joseph most Jewish leaders were thinking that the Messiah would be a political person who would restore the Davidic throne, drive out the Roman authorities and re-establish the Kingdom of Jerusalem. But as we well know, Jesus did not come to be an earthly king, rather he came to conquer sin and death and open for us the gates to the heavenly kingdom.
This new Jerusalem is what is referenced in our first reading when we hear “Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever” (Baruch 5:1) In this prophetic book we hear how the coming of the Holy One (Jesus Christ) will make low every lofty mountain and the age-old depths and gorges will be filled to level ground. (cf. Baruch 5:7) I think that these references in Baruch point to how Jesus Christ would make it possible for us to enter into heaven, rather than remain in the depths of sinfulness.
Advent is both a penitential and joy-filled season. It is penitential because we, like St. John the Baptist declares in the Gospel, should seek repentance for the forgiveness of our sins. It is joy-filled because this season is pointing to the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. As such, we should be asking ourselves: How am I preparing the way of the Lord? How am I making space for him in my heart and in my home?
In the same way that we clean our houses for the arrival of guests during the holidays, we should clean our hearts. What better way than to take advantage of the Sacrament of Confession! In the gentle encounter with the Lord through the person of the priest, we hear the words of absolution and the command to go forth and sin no more. If we truly want to give the child Jesus a gift he really wants, I would say to present to him our hearts cleansed of sin, would be the greatest gift he would desire. It would be to accept the sacrifice he made for us on the cross and give it meaning in our life.
Echoing the words of the Psalmist (and also those of Our Lady in the Magnificat) “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” The great things of his birth, death on the cross and resurrection and in particular the Sacraments he left for us here on earth, are those great things that lead us to eternal life. Let us make use of them today and so make way for the Lord in our hearts today and forever.
