Prepare a way for the Lord

Gospel: Lk 3:1-6
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120824.cfm

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. The gospel for the First Sunday had Jesus telling us to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. In today’s gospel, we hear about John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord. We are called to both be prepared and to prepare the way for the Lord. Our relationship with God has both a passive and active dimension to it. We must both be ready to receive God (passive) and we must make way for God (active). It’s like with any relationship, we must be ready to give as the other is ready to receive as much as they must be ready to give as we must be ready to receive. The giver receives as the receiver gives.

This calls to mind the struggle we have in finding a life partner. You can fall in-love with another person and they may not have the same feelings for you. Or, someone could fall in-love with you and you may not have feelings for them. For two people to be in-love, it requires reciprocation. This is how it is with God. God desires to have a relationship with us, but for it to happen, we must both be ready to receive it and seek it out ourselves. Unlike any relationship with another person though, God is always ready to receive and to give. That is why we must both be prepared for and prepare the way for God.

It is through repentance that we are prepared, and it is through prayer, scripture, and sharing the gospel that we prepare a way for God. The Mass is structured with this in mind. It mirrors the process of the soul’s journey to God. During the Mass, we start by asking for forgiveness and repenting for our sin. We then reach out to God through prayer, scripture, and sharing the gospel with each other which then leads to us ultimately to experience Jesus through the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup.

May we be prepared for God as we prepare the way for God. Amen.