An Advent Thought

In Isaiah 40 we read : 

A voice proclaims in the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!

I don't think Isaiah meant to make straight a path to WalMart.  To prepare the way of the Lord we must make straight the path to our heart. It feels like more than ever we need a new John the Baptist standing down by the river wearing camel hair and eating grasshoppers warning us to get ready!

What have I done to make this possible?  Have I done enough?

My Christmas preparation list this year has included the following:

• Get to confession  [x]
• Adoration  [x]
• Show more patience (especially when driving!) [always a work in progress]
• Compassion [still working on it!]
• Prayer  [x]
• Study the Bible more (Isaiah 40, Luke 2, John 1, Matthew 1...)  [will never end]

I haven't been able to check them all off yet but I am working on it.  My list also includes things such as shopping (actually that's more of my wife's department), going places to see the Christmas lights, putting up the Christmas tree, rigging up our own lights, fun and parties and all that but I am trying to make those things come after the list above.  Luke 10:27 reminds us:

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Number one must be God.  I was thinking back to when I was a teenager and how Christmas used to be such a letdown and a confusing time for me.  I used to get tons of gifts so that wasn't the problem!  I look back now and realize it was a transition period for me.  Christmas was a letdown because it wasn't all about the gifts anymore but I hadn't fully realized that yet.  I wanted it to be about the anticipation of the presents but my brain told me otherwise.  Christmas was about the anticipation of something greater than worldly presents.  Something more eternal.  I only hope I can convey that eloquently to my own kids.

I think I've realized that now, much like the Grinch when he thought:

"Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!" 

Funny but as I was thinking this over I saw on my Facebook wall one of my friends (who happens to also be a priest) had posted something from Pope Benedict XVI:

"I know that people have many commitments, but getting ready for Christmas does not only mean shopping and making preparations, it means being in contact with the Lord, going out to meet Him. I feel it is important not to forget this dimension...This is not an additional burden, but the power that enables us to do all we need to do. I hope you maintain permanent contact with Jesus, that His joy and strength might help you to live in this world."  

Merry Advent season everyone!