This Sunday we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Advent has the two fold preparation: preparing for Jesus’ first coming and preparing for Jesus’ second coming. The first weeks of Advent are more focused on preparing for Jesus’ second coming and the last two are more focused on preparing to celebrate His first coming. Still, both of these elements are there throughout Advent. Remember when Jesus came His first time and was born. He was born in a stable, a barn, a cave. He was not born in the most prestigious of places. Mary and Joseph had to prepare for His birth by traveling to Bethlehem. They went on a journey to give birth to the Messiah. The Gospels tell us that there was no place for them to stay. A pregnant woman, about to give birth could not find a place to rest her head. WOW!!! That just seems wrong. And we know that the Gospels tell us that she gave birth in a barn with the animals gathered around. We know the story.
Now is the time of preparation. Jesus is coming to be born again. This time though, He wants to be born in our hearts. What room will we give Him? What focus will He take in our hearts? Jesus wants to be the center and focus of our hearts, and He wants to reign there. Like the stable, what kind of cleaning needs to be done so that our hearts will be ready to receive Him? Don’t we want our hearts to be as close to immaculate as possible? If this is the case (I hope this is the case), then what do we need to do to prepare a room in our hearts so that at Christmas this year we may have a most beautiful celebration with the Lord? Read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the first chapters are excellent ways to prepare our hearts. Maybe its time to get to confession so that we can sweep clean our hearts for the Lord to be born in our hearts. The important thing is to prepare a room for the Lord. It is Advent, and Christ will ask us how we made room for Him.
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault