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Today's Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

Second Sunday of Advent

The season of Advent is all about preparation. Today’s Gospel inspires me to ask myself two questions. The first, what am I preparing for this second week of Advent? Am I more concerned with preparing for a holiday or the birth of a King? The second question is what does “prepare” really look like? It’s an action-packed verb, isn't it?

The prophet Isaiah’s words from Luke’s Gospel really answered those two questions for me. We are preparing for the one who will level out the peaks and valleys of our days. We’re preparing for the one who will straighten out all the winding messes our sinfulness gets us into. We’re preparing for the one who will smooth out all of our bumps and bruises with his amazing comfort and peace. We aren’t preparing for a party or a feast; we’re preparing for our salvation.

The great news is this preparation requires the opposite of action-packed frenzy. The preparation needed on our part this Advent is stillness, quietness, and a sincere invitation. God is sending his son to do all the work; our task is to simply pause and await the arrival of the Infant King who will come into our life and do all the things Isaiah promised he would do.

Ponder:

What places, situations, or circumstances in my life need smoothing, straightening, and leveling?

Pray:

God of love, show me how to be still and await patiently the coming of your Son. God of time, I ask you to manage my schedule so I can answer your invitation to spend peaceful time preparing and thanking you for the gift of your Son and the salvation he offers me.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Sheri Wohlfert