Prepare the Way
I love Advent—the colors of purple dyed carnations, fresh pink and crimson roses for Our Lady of Guadalupe, azure blue sparkly balls on the evergreen Christmas tree; the unexpected messages of hope; and the moving music anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ. From the Mass readings for the second Sunday of Advent, I heard, “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low” (Isaiah 40:3-4a, NAB – New American Bible). My heart was bolstered by Isaiah’s words: “Fear not to cry out and say to the cities of Judah: Here is your God!” (Isaiah 40:9b, NAB)
I love John the Baptist, who proclaims in the gospel, “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8, NAB) These powerful words stir my heart every time. The songs we sing have the same affect on me—"O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Psalm 85: Let Us See Your Kindness,” “A Voice Cries Out,” “Every Valley,” “Even So Come,” “Ubi Caritas,” and, “Ready the Way.”
The valleys to be filled, reminds me of stepping into the void that can often be found in people’s hearts. Last August, I lost my sister. I know there’s a void not only in my own heart, but in the hearts of her teenage children. Last weekend my husband and I were privileged to help empty my sister’s twenty-by-five foot storage unit. Her children were present. It felt good to be there for them in the midst of the making-hard-decisions tears, the gorgeous bridal photos, the gobs of costume jewelry, the odd framed paintings, and the multiple trips to Good Will in our truck, laden with unwanted furniture. We made a tiny step in filling the valley voids in my heart, and in theirs, Praise God!
The mountains and the hills that are made low, point to John the Baptist, who is steeped in humility. The Baptist acknowledges that he is not the Savior, that, “One mightier than I is coming after me,” who will, “baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” I pray that I am humble enough, like the Baptist, to make room for God in my life. The most exciting part is the thought of Baby Jesus being born in the cradle of my heart on Christmas Day, and baptizing me (and you) with His Holy Spirit.
Lastly, I love Isaiah’s courageous exhortation: “Fear not to…say…Here is your God!” These words turn my thoughts toward my favorite poet, George Herbert. He was not afraid to write poems about God. Herbert lived in the 17th century, and was ordained an Anglican priest. His homilies can be found in his poetry, and vice versa. Read his famous poem, “The Pulley,” The Pulley by George Herbert | Poetry Foundation, and tell me what you think.