Reflections on the Sunday Readings for 12/7/08 by Dawn

You can find all of this week's Scripture at www.usccb.org/nab/120708.shtml

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
(Mark 1:2-4)

In today's Gospel we hear that John the Baptist went throughout the wilderness, inviting people to prepare a way for God to come into their lives. We are asked to do the same during this Advent season.

Many churches choose to sing the hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" during Advent. While at a conference this week I was listening to a concert by Catholic singer and songwriter Matt Maher. He chose to sing that same hymn, in a beautiful, prayerful way. As we were singing it I started thinking about the chorus "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel." The "rejoice" really got me... here we have the Incarnation - God becoming one of us. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, and yet "rejoicing" is one of the last things we think about at this time of year. We're consumed with financial worries, busy schedules, and stress in our relationships. We don't make time to contemplate what it means that God - the God who created the entire universe, yet knows the number of hairs on our heads - is with us. Have you ever really thought about it? When I stop and try to put my head around it I can't understand how I can do anything other than rejoice.

Now I'm not naive. Our lives are difficult, we are broken people living in a broken world which makes rejoicing difficult. But that's one of the reasons why Advent is so great - it's all about preparing our lives to welcome in Emmanuel. One of the main reasons our lives are difficult is because we sin, and we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. It's the same reason why John the Baptist went throughout the countryside calling people to repentence. To repent is to resolve to change. We prepare the way of the Lord, making the paths straight when we go to confession and ask for forgiveness. All those times we've turned away from God by sinning are erased, the path is made straight through the Sacrament of Penance. Why not give it a try this Advent? My experience is that you leave the encounter rejoicing.



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p.s. Hear Matt Maher's new song which blends together "Silent Night" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" at www.ilike.com/artist/Matt+Maher/track/Silent+Night+(Emmanuel). Currently you can also download it for free at iTunes.