SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
At the time of Christ, whenever a local ruler was
travelling through the countryside, his servants
went before him to remove obstacles from
his path so that he could make a smooth, safe
journey. On this second Sunday of Advent John
the Baptist uses that same image, familiar to his
listeners, as he cries from the wilderness: ‘prepare
the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’.
The best way to prepare the way of the Lord is
to tune into His presence, which surrounds us
every day. It means removing from our lives any
obstacles that would hinder His entry into our
hearts and minds. It means straightening the
crooked places within us that prevent us from
being the best of ourselves, the kind of people
He intended us to be. If we use these Advent
days in this way, then the beauty of Christmas
will be found, not in the presents, but, rather,
in His presence.