Are You Preparing?

December 7, 2008

Are You Preparing?
A voice cries out from the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord!
A voice cries out from the wilderness:
Make straight a Highway for God!
Michael Joncas (A Voice Cries Out)

St. Augustine once said “Singing is praying twice!” The above quote is from a song our choir sang at the Annual Music Guild concert, based on today’s reading from Isaiah. I found myself very struck by the words to this song. As I sat in choir rehearsal, practicing this song, I tried picturing myself in the wilderness 2000 years ago waiting for the coming of our savior. The song is full of imagery of the wilderness, mountains, valleys and plains waiting for the birth of Jesus… a very picturesque scene but bears no resemblance to today’s wilderness.

Our “wilderness” of today isn’t mountains, forests, nor deserts. Today’s wilderness consists of shopping malls, career and social pressures, the mass media, and even the clutter of our own minds. How do we make a way through our wilderness and prepare a highway for God?

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading from Mark 13 Jesus tells us to ““Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Are you prepared? The season of Advent is a time for preparing and reflecting upon the coming of our Savior and making ourselves ready.

This week take a look at your Christmas “to-do” lists. Is prayer and reflection at the top? Is it even on your list? To ready ourselves for the Lord we must first clear away our own wilderness and clutter and make straight our path so we can then prepare the road for our Lord.

Before writing out your “to-do” lists find a comfortable spot, put on Christmas carols such as “Away in a Manger” or “The First Noel” (not “Rudolph” or “Frosty”!) and reflect upon the season. Put prayer at both the top and bottom of your to-do list and then fill in the middle. Your list will probably include cooking, cleaning, shopping… preparing for the “coming” of family and friends but what will you do to prepare for the coming of our Savior? Give it some thought and add it to your to-do list… after all, we must remember Christ is coming and we must be ready. – God Bless, Holly Clark