In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.” (Is 2:2-3a)
We are at the beginning of the Advent season, a season that calls out to us: Prepare!
For what are we preparing?
Many people would answer the question with material things: we are preparing for Christmas, therefore we need to decorate, clean, bake, cook, shop, visit, et cetera.
However, we need to remember that our preparation is more crucial in the spiritual sense.
Some day, the Lord’s Kingdom — which was established by Jesus Christ — will come to its completion. On that day, we must be found in readiness.
Go ahead. Decorate. Clean. Bake. Cook. Shop. Visit. Do all the trappings of the season in the material sense.
At the same time, make sure that, first and foremost, you accomplish the spiritual preparation necessary for the season: pray, do works of mercy, go to confession, increase your spiritual reading, et cetera.
Then, you will be ready to celebrate with fuller comprehension the two comings of Christ celebrated on Christmas Day.
FAITH ACTION: Make a list for yourself on the things you are going to do this season to prepare, spiritually, for Christmas. Make sure that you do, this day, one of the things on your list.