2nd Sunday of Advent

This time of year, we start seeing holiday movies centering on the idea of “the magic of Christmas spirit.” At the end of many of these films, the antagonist is fundamentally changed for the better: the Grinch’s heart grows, Scrooge becomes generous, and dozens of films end with skeptics finding joy in the season. While most of these holiday “classics” are secular in nature, they do touch on the belief that Christmas changes things. The difference is that while these Hollywood “classics” might give the credit to Santa Claus, we as Catholics, know that Jesus’ coming is what changed everything.

During this preparatory season of Advent, we focus on paving the way for Christ’s coming, both at Christmas and at the Second Coming. Isaiah prophesies many wonderful changes when the Lord comes: the deaf will hear, the blind will see, tyrants will be gone. People will rejoice, reverencing and honoring God.

As we listened to the Gospel according to Mark on this Second Sunday of Advent, we heard the evangelist quote from the prophet Isaiah: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

What does this mean, “…make straight his paths”? One thing it means is that we are to make it easy for the Lord to reach us. We are to be open to his coming, perhaps in a new way, into our hearts and into our very lives. As we anticipate the arrival of Christmas, it is a good time to reflect on our lives and see how truly open we are to the Lord. Where is our focus at this time, the Second Sunday of Advent? Have we been prayerful and quiet, or has the bustling of the world around us invaded our time to just be with Jesus in silence? To fully prepare our hearts for the incredible glory of Christmas, we should be making more time for Jesus in our lives.

Perhaps in our own preparation for Christmas we should be mindful of the anticipation that existed in people prior to the birth of Jesus. A sense of anticipation and expectation existed not just in the hearts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Joseph, but in all of the people of Israel who for centuries had longed for the coming of the Messiah. They experienced a profound longing for the presence of God, and there was a “dryness” in their lives as they experienced a spiritual thirsting for the “living water” that Jesus would one day offer them.

“Make straight his paths!” and “Prepare the way of the Lord!” are timeless reminders to turn to Jesus, and see him as the one our hearts long for. If we do this, we are sure to arrive at our Christmas celebration with hearts filled with the wonder and joy that is present in the coming of our Savior!