Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as
it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one
crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his
paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made
low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you know the sincerity of my desire
to spend this time with you. As I begin this meditation, I believe that you are
here with me, that you never abandon me. Because I love you, my one wish is to
please and console you in your solitude in the tabernacle. I hope in the
boundless mercy that motivated your incarnation. May we one day meet again in
your heavenly kingdom.
Petition: Give
me the grace to renew my Advent preparation.
1. The
Concrete History: Today’s Gospel contains a veritable
roster of First Century Palestinian big-names, both religious and political.
Why? St Luke wants to emphasize that God’s marvelous deeds do not happen in a
vacuum, but in the concrete reality of history. The greatest of God’s
interventions, the Incarnation — when the Word became flesh — happened at a
concrete time and place. This should have great impact on our spiritual lives.
Jesus’ coming among us cannot be just an abstract idea that I learned in CCD.
Jesus came to this world for ME! This overwhelming love calls forth a grateful
response, unless I try to keep it at a safe distance. Jesus came to our world.
Will I let him into mine?
2. A Voice Crying Out
in the Desert: The ministry of John the Baptist was an
important part of God’s plan to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah.
He was very successful and opened many hearts to repentance and eventual faith in
Jesus. So it is somewhat ironic that the phrase "crying out in the
desert" usually refers to a noble but futile effort. That, unfortunately,
could be the case now, if I am allowing the Holy Spirit’s inspirations to die
in the “desert” of my self-absorption. Am I so wrapped up in the material side
of Christmas preparation that I am forgetting the spiritual preparation?
3. "Prepare
the Way of the Lord!" The memory of the Incarnation and the
continuous prompting of the Holy Spirit in our hearts add up to the great
program of Advent "Prepare the way of the Lord." We are called as
Christians to do precisely this. Society is starving for the message of Christ.
All of our prayers and work should be done with the spirit of faith, so that we
are indeed are to prepare the way of the Lord.
Conversation
with Christ
Jesus, you came into our world, taking on our human condition. For too
long, this has been just an idea for me. Let it sink into my heart and stir my
will to action. You have loved me so much. I must return my love with concrete
deeds. I recommit myself to fight for your Kingdom.
Resolution: I will offer up
three simple invocations spread throughout today, telling Jesus I love him and
wish to prepare my heart to welcome him this Christmas.