A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Isaiah 40:3
Cleaning Up Our Faith
We often hear that Advent is a time to deepen our faith. Like we clean up our house and make it lovely for a guest, we do the same with our faith during Advent. We get ready for Jesus to be with us, and we consider the unknown day of our death when we’ll meet Him face to face. With these times in mind, we “clean up” our faith through Confession and by doing penance. We strengthen it and make it lovely for Jesus by praying more often and more devoutly, and doing more acts of charity.
Loving the Preparation
When I was little, I didn’t really understand the season of Advent. I just wished it away so that I could get to the fun of Christmas. As I grew up, the beauty of Advent attracted me. I came to appreciate this liturgical season of waiting, and I grew to love the many ways of preparing for Jesus. I looked forward to praying more deeply, going to Confession, and making my heart ready for Jesus, and I participated in these practices intentionally and with joy.
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Heeding John the Baptist’s Call
In this Sunday’s reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist, who encourages us to prepare the way of the Lord. In his time, he prepared people for Jesus’ earthly ministry through Baptism as they repented from sin and did penance. He knew that Jesus would come to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven, and he wanted everyone to be ready.
John the Baptist’s call to prepare the way of the Lord still applies to us today. He reminds us that Jesus is really is coming, and there are real, tangible ways that we can get ready for Him. During this beautiful season, make your hearts ready for Jesus the way that you would prepare your home for a guest. Clean up your heart, make your soul beautiful, and open yourself up to welcome Him. We can still prepare the way of the Lord, and we can prepare His way into our lives and hearts.
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I started a blog a few weeks ago and was just exploring WordPress to find other Christian bloggers. I just wanted to say that I love the name of your blog! My word for the year has been “RADIANT!” based on Psalm 34:5 as well….when I heard God give me that word in January I neve envisioned writing a blog would be what He had in mind. Look forward to following you – keep up your wonderful sharing of your faith!
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Hi Carrie! Thank you for stopping by RWJ and for your kind words! Writing a blog, especially a faith blog, can be quite a journey, but God is so good about guiding us every step of the way! I’ll be sure to check out your blog as well! It’s so great to connect with another blogging buddy ☺️
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