1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar…the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Our preparation for Christmas is distracted by the litany of commercialism and the litany of indulgence. To offset this we need to “discern what is best” about this celebration by going deeper and deeper into the mystery which is Christmas. This means we look for Christmas to happen in human acts of love wherein we also see “God’s salvation” in action.
This is what Advent is all about. Discerning. Getting ready! When I am ready, I am more able to experience, more able to see. Ironically, I can also be more spontaneous, more open to chance; call it planned spontaneity; prepared enough to be free to be spontaneous.
A song writer once said, “Tunes simply pop into my head all the time.
But of course, your head has to be arranged to receive them!”
Are you getting ready to “see” Christmas? To see it happen again and again hidden in happenings you never expected? And celebrate the mystery of God’s love incarnate in human flesh? This is what is coming!
Get ready for a surprise!
“Chance favors the
prepared mind.”
Louis Pasteur
Prayer thought for the week: “Lord, help me to not miss Christmas
as it comes over and over and over again, Your love incarnate in human flesh.”
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