Paths

And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. And the same John had his garment of camels' hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan: And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
Matthew 3:1-12 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father you know our hearts, our thoughts and our souls. You gather us together and teach us repentance for our sins. You teach us forgiveness and love. You sent us John the Baptist to prepare us for the coming of your Son. Have we forgotten his message to repent of our evil ways and make our paths straight. I am reminded of a dream I once had where my path was leading me, but in it I saw that on the way I veered off and took another route to my destination. That other route was in darkness all the while the one path that I was headed was the light of God. Sin causes our paths to end up crooked and not straight at all. Why did this come to me this particular time, maybe as a way of pointing out that our paths lead to God, but in our journey we often let sin mar the way. For me it was a turning point in my life where I chose to follow God and to repent of my sins so I may be on the right path that leads to eternal salvation. He is my hope in this otherwise dark world we live in. We have choices in the direction we travel, I pray it will be the one that leads to the light of our Lord and not the one that is nothing but darkness. Amen

Take Heed

And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer

Dear Father I remember when I once did what you admonish us not to do. As a young person fresh out of school wanting to experience life and not really finding it but burying it in partying and having fun. Wasted days for sure. Living life in such a way does not prepare our souls for your coming, nor for the day when we go to our death and find which eternity we will spend it in. How easily the snares of the earth do capture us and take us away from you dear Father. There is truth in these words of yours that praying frees us when we pray from the heart. If I didn't go through this myself and find out the hard way I would have lived my life in better preparation. You still found me worthy and continue to love me even when I fall flat on my face. You pick me us so I can stand before your Son and proclaim my undying love to him. Thank you my Beloved.

Readying the Banquet Table

Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands. And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
Luke 12:35-38 (Douay-Rheims)

Prayer

Dear Father should I let my faith slip and grow lax, then it is I who suffer the consequences. Then I would not be prepared for your coming. What must I do then? Is attending Mass enough or must I do more? Do I know the answer to this question, of course I do. Cleansing the inside of me as well as the outside helps. Confession makes a big difference when I haven't gone in a long time. This allows you to come shining through me, until then I would only see darkness. Have I set the table with finery in preparation for the banquet. In this regard of finery it is prayer and have I polished it so it will shine in the darkness. Or do I just pray when the need arises? So how can I say I am prepared when I don't pray throughout the day or use the sacrament of penance or for that matter attend Mass on a regular basis where I hear your Word and receive you in the Eucharist to keep the light inside me from going out. It's all essential to do in order to be prepared and I know it's difficult just as keeping our own homes clean can be. Dear Father help me to prepare and keep that light inside of me burning bright. May I be vigilant for your coming and let me be ready and not asleep at the table I was preparing. Amen

Keeping Watch

Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come. Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season.

Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming: And shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with drunkards: The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not, and at an hour that he knoweth not:

And shall separate him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:42-51 (Douay-Rheims)

Prayer

Dear Father I would hope that all the years of my life have prepared me for your coming. I have fought the battle of sin while constantly keeping watch. How can that be possible to watch and pray and guard the heart all at the same time. Yet it was a lesson learned long ago to keep watch for when you would come to my heart. Dear Father your loving Son gave us a way to keep us ever watchful. One I am deeply thankful for, because it is through Him that our hearts are kept ever vigilant. We know not when you would come but can we say we are ready for you. A pleasure that is far beyond all pleasures when our Lord comes and pays our heart a visit. Let us look with honesty in our lives and in our hearts if we are prepared for the day when our Lord will come. Will he find our hearts clean and clear and full of love for Him. May we sweep out the sins of our life and prepare our hearts for his coming. Amen

Second Sunday of Advent

Advent Prayer

Father, in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.


Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
Luke 3:4

Reflection:
We are in a time of preparation right now. We are decorating our homes for the celebration of Christ's Birth. For others is is the arrival of a person bearing gifts, whose name is Santa. We prepare for this season by going shopping for decorations, for gifts to give and so forth. But in this preparedness we are not making our paths any straighter.

How come we can go all out and sacrifice for our loved one's and give them something that costs quite a bit and yet we can not sacrifice and prepare for God's coming. We give so much of our time to the activities of shopping where we spend hours searching just for the right gift or the right ornament.

In the reading today, we are told to prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. We are to prepare our hearts for him to come into our lives where our paths will be made straight. When we prepare our hearts for his coming we truly do walk a straighter path.