Prepare the way of the Lord

"The voice of one crying in the desert:

Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight."

These are the words of St. John the Baptist, exhorting us to prepare our minds and our hearts for the coming of the Lord. We are called in this season to make a resting place for the Christ Child in our lives by quieting ourselves and clearing away anything that might hinder the entry of Christ into our souls.

This is not what the world wants to hear at this time of the year. As Christians we are called to be a contradiction and example to the world, and Advent is the time when the Church's contradictive role is most keenly felt. Everywhere are the signs of Christmas; store's have had their decorations up for a long time now, many homes have had a Christmas tree as the focal point of their living rooms since Thanksgiving, everywhere I go I hear the sounds of Christmas in the air...but has He yet come? If not, then why are we celebrating as though He has?

Advent is a season of fasting, abstinance, and prayer. It is distinct from Lent (at least in the Latin Rite), however, in the severety of self-denial. This period, like Lent, is meant to prepare the soul for the coming Feast that we look forward to. Unlike the mentality of the world (fun now, pay later) the Church encourages us to abstain from the distractions of the world that clutter our lives and keep us from being in a proper state of spirit and mind to recieve the gift of the mystery that we are preparing to celebrate.

There are many ways that we as Christians can incorporate this spirit of preparation in our daily lives. First is to prepare our souls by attending mass as often as possible, renewed efforts in our prayer life, spiritual readings (the beggining of Luke and Matthew's Gospels for instance) and by quieting our minds and subduing our appetites enliminating as much as possible distractions such as the radio, television, too much food, and other things. A second is by not giving in to celebrating before the day of Christmas (I know I sound right-wing here) by fasting from the constant jangle of Christmas music, holding off decorating until at least the third week (Gaudete) of Advent, and busy ourselves instead with preparations for the day of Christmas (cooking, baking, preparing the decorations but not putting them up yet, practicing Christmas music, etc.) so that when Christmas does come we will not be tired of Christmas (like its the final blow-out to the celebrations) but will be Joyfull in the event that we can now celebrate what we have been looking forward to for so long (think of how a bride looks forward to her wedding day...to consumate prior to the wedding lessens the joy).

"Do not be afraid" to be a sign of contradiction to the secular materialist world around us! Save your feasting until the reason for our joy has come! Prepare the way of the Lord so that when he comes you may, like Mary, give yourself to God completely (totus tuus). Also...along with the spiritual benefits of preparing yourself for Christmas, there is the practical...your tree will be fresh for Jesus on His Birthday, you won't have gotten sick yet, and if you diet in advent...you will lose the pounds that you can then regain during Christmas...so you can feast without the guilt!